“A new breed of man — a living engine of destruction!” That is how Simon Williams, AKA Wonder Man was described when his character debuted in October, 1964, in “Avengers” issue number nine. In the comics, Wonder Man was initially created to work as a double agent against the Avengers by Nazi scientist Baron Zemo. They gave Williams superhuman speed, strength, and reflexes, as well as the abilities to grow into a giant and to shoot ionic energy at his opponents. However, it did not take long for Williams to abandon his double agency and truly join the Avengers.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, “Wonder Man” finally came to the big screen. The titular protagonist of the miniseries is played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, an actor who previously participated in DC’s “Aquaman” movies as the character David Kane. The show is a “Marvel Spotlight” series. Under the “Spotlight” banner, Marvel can debut characters and test their reception, without binding them to any major plotlines. This can mean Spotlight features often get less attention and marketing. Nevertheless, “Wonder Man” is one of the best projects Marvel has released in quite some time.
Where Marvel storylines have, of late, been criticized as too complicated, “Wonder Man” is simple yet still manages to surprise. The story begins with a familiar premise: a struggling actor finally gets a shot at his dream role: Wonder Man. In this universe, Wonder Man is not a real superhero but a movie character in an old classic. Simon himself has superpowers, but ironically has to conceal them while auditioning for the remake. He pursues the role alongside Trevor Slattery, who is auditioning for the role of Wonder Man’s best friend.
One of the most interesting things about Simon is that he does not follow the conventions for Marvel superheroes. For one, he has no apparent exciting origin story. Simon himself doesn’t know where he got his powers. He also doesn’t try to use his powers for good and instead suppresses them. His powers function in the plot simply as an obstacle to his career. In fact, the friendship between Trevor and Simon — in which Trevor gains real affection for Simon and Simon makes his first true friend — is more central to the plot than any superhero arc.
Had the creators conformed to a more typical format for a superhero story, they would have undermined the show’s elegant depiction of what it is to be truly different. Where many superhero films glamorize the life of a superpowered individual, “Wonder Man” depicts how hard it can be to live a normal, fulfilling life when burdened with that sort of secret. Most superheroes find a passion for using their powers, but Simon’s only passion is for film. If anything, the pain his powers cause him only further accentuates his pure and deep love for acting. In turn, this transforms the whole show into a love letter to the artist’s struggle, mission, and world.
The visuals of “Wonder Man” are beautiful. It captures the glitz of Hollywood along with the beauty of the lower-class suburbs of Los Angeles. The series even momentarily takes advantage of the cheesy practical effects used in old-time superhero movies through clips from the “original” Wonder Man movie. “Wonder Man” is an excellent series unlike any other superhero show, one that encapsulates the essence of an artist’s journey to achieve their purpose.