James Ponsoldt is a director we value for his attention to actors and personal relationships. Wonder Man puts that approach to enjoyable use, although its showbusiness satire is less assured than its warmth.
Fi1m perspective
In Wonder Man (2026), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley are allowed to make their rapport the main attraction. We warmed to them because the series gives them time to establish a relationship we care about. The showbusiness comedy is funny, but the affection for its characters is what makes it worth recommending. Ponsoldt directs alongside Destin Daniel Cretton, Stella Meghie and Tiffany Johnson, all keeping the emphasis on character. It would be careless to assign him sole credit, though the approach suits him.
His debut feature, Off the Black (2006), established his interest in character drama, followed by the exploration of alcoholism in Smashed (2012). The Spectacular Now (2013) was the breakthrough, with its convincing attention to teenagers and young adults. Ponsoldt favours naturalistic acting, a sensible choice for subjects that would be easy to overplay. With The End of the Tour (2015), a literary adaptation about David Foster Wallace, his interest in male friendship met more overtly intellectual material.
The adaptations have not all been as well received. The Circle (2017), co-written with Dave Eggers, drew substantially poorer reviews for its execution than the earlier films. We would not recommend Ponsoldt simply on the strength of his taste in material. Summering (2022) followed, while television had become a regular part of his work from the mid-2010s, including Sorry for Your Loss, Daisy Jones & the Six and Shrinking.
In Wonder Man, that television work finds a comfortable setting. The industry satire could be sharper, and anyone coming principally for that may find the show's gentleness a limitation. But its characters are allowed interests beyond preventing catastrophe, which gives the actors something worth playing between the demands of the genre. The series does not need to correct the rest of superhero television to earn an evening. Start here for the two leads, rather than for a ruthless account of their profession.
Biography
James Ponsoldt is an American film and television director, screenwriter and producer. He was born on 5 September 1978 in Athens, Georgia. He graduated with a BA from Yale University and an MFA in directing from Columbia University, and completed professional programmes in screenwriting and producing at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
Ponsoldt made his feature directorial debut with Off the Black (2006). His subsequent films include Smashed (2012), The Spectacular Now (2013), The End of the Tour (2015), The Circle (2017) and Summering (2022). He has directed episodes of series including Master of None (2015), Daisy Jones & the Six (2023), Shrinking (2023) and Running Point (2025), as well as episodes of Wonder Man (2026).
