Wonder Man is now streaming on Disney Plus! The Marvel show has been a hit with critics and has given Marvel's massive 2026 an early boost. Turns out Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday have competition this year...
Whether you've binged all eight episodes or are wondering what all the fuss is about, we've got you covered. Below, we've rounded up everything you need to know about Wonder Man, from those glowing reviews, to the cast, to the release date, to a breakdown of the events of the show, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as an actor gunning for a role in a superhero movie who also has secret superpowers himself... It's kicking off a big year for Marvel, and arrives as part of Marvel Phase 6.
For more on what's coming up in the MCU, check out our guides to the other 2026 releases, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday.
Wonder Man reviews
In our Wonder Man review, we lauded the Marvel Spotlight show as a "low-key gem up there with the MCU's best," and awarded the series a near-perfect 4.5*. "Wonder Man stands apart from the rest of the MCU as a warm and witty buddy comedy set against the backdrop of Hollywood."
Most other critics were just as kind, with The Movie Podcast's Shahbaz Siddiqui saying on Twitter that Wonder Man "caught me off guard in the best way. Hilarious, self-aware, and a genuine love letter to Hollywood…This feels wildly different for Marvel."
The full season currently sits at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, which puts it level with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The audience score isn't far behind, either, at 88%, which isn't always the case with Marvel properties, though that could change in the coming days.
Not every review was glowing, with Vulture declaring, "It just doesn’t quite have the chops, or the nerve, to believe that the banal forces governing this world, be they insurance policies or studio logic, can be as dramatically powerful as the ability to fly." But for the first time in a while with Marvel, critical voices are in the minority.
Wonder Man release date
Wonder Man released in full on Disney Plus on January 27, 2026. Unlike most Marvel streaming shows, all eight episodes were released at once, meaning no agonizing, week-long wait between episodes.
As it was in production during the simultaneous SAG-AFTRA actors' strike and WGA writers' strike, Wonder Man had to pause production back in 2023, and was eventually given a release window of December 2025. A further small delay pushed it into January 2026.
Wonder Man trailer
The trailer for Wonder Man tackles the idea of superhero fatigue head-on. It starts with a legendary filmmaker coming out of retirement to remake the Wonder Man movie, with Simon Williams, our main character, deciding to try and audition. While he makes it to the next stage, so do many others – including one Trevor Slattery, who you might recognize from Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Check it out above.
Wonder Man cast
The Wonder Man cast is mostly newcomers to the MCU, with the exception of Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery. Check out the full cast below:
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Simon Williams
- Ben Kingsley – Trevor Slattery
- Zlatko Burić – Von Kovak
- Arian Moayed – Agent Cleary
- X Mayo – Janelle Jackson
- Byron Bowers – DeMarr Davis/Doorman
- Josh Gad – Josh Gad
- Joe Pantoliano – Joe Pantoliano
- Olivia Thirlby – Vivian
Wonder Man plot
Wonder Man covers a life-changing period for struggling actor Simon Williams and reformed thesp Trevor Slattery. When it's announced that legendary director Von Kovak is developing a remake of the movie Wonder Man, Williams knows it's the role of a lifetime and doggedly pursues an audition.
Unbeknownst to the world at large, however, Simon has ionic powers, which is a problem because a recent incident involving Josh Gad (it's a whole thing) means superpowered people can't work as actors. Simon must keep his potentially destructive powers under wraps, or it could spell the end for his career before it gets started.
At the same time, Slattery returns to America some 13 years after his stint as fake terrorist, The Mandarin. Unfortunately, the Department of Damage Control still considers Slattery a fugitive, arrests him on landing, and presents him with an ultimatum: spy on Williams or go straight to jail.
Slattery reluctantly agrees to spy on Williams and swiftly befriends the impressionable young actor, with the pair pursuing the lead roles in Von Kovak's Wonder Man remake. Eventually beating out the competition and finding themselves cast in the film, this subterfuge comes to a head during production when Slattery admits to Williams that he's been spying on him for the DoDC all along. Williams, devastated to discover his friendship is constructed on lies, causes an explosion on a soundstage.
Fearing he will soon be arrested and exposed, Williams receives a call from Slattery... who has taken up the mantle of The Mandarin once again in order to take the fall for Williams. The movie is finished, with Joe Pantoliano replacing Slattery in the role, and is released to seemingly great acclaim.
Cut to: several months later. Williams is seemingly researching a new role by following an Average Joe called Chuck around middle-of-nowhere's-ville. But Chuck, it turns out, is a prison guard at a new, state-of-the-art DoDC prison where one Trevor Slattery is being held. Infiltrating the facility as Chuck's trainee, Williams locates Slattery and busts him out of captivity using his iconic powers. For an even deeper dive into the show's final moments and lingering questions, check out our Wonder Man ending explained.
That's a wrap on Wonder Man. While you wait for the new show, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store, or find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
