---
title: "Wonder Man"
year: 2026
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/wonder-man"
fi1m_id: "wonder-man"
imdb_id: "tt21066182"
tmdb_id: 198178
wikidata_id: "Q114779504"
fi1m_score: 82
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 15
published: "2026-09-11"
updated: "2026-09-16T01:59:26.055316+00:00"
region: "MX"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Wonder Man (2026)

Created by Andrew Guest, Destin Daniel Cretton · Comedy, Drama

## Identity

Wonder Man

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/wonder-man
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** wonder-man
- **IMDb ID:** tt21066182
- **TMDB ID:** 198178
- **Wikidata ID:** Q114779504
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21066182/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/198178, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114779504

**Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 76 from 15 reviews

*In a sentence:* Ben Kingsley has someone to talk to, which turns out to be a sufficient reason for another superhero series

> *Wonder Man* is a warm, funny showbusiness comedy whose chief pleasure is Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley’s rapport. The industry satire could be sharper, but the series gives its actors enough space to make us care.

## Synopsis

Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is an actor making his way through Hollywood, with the demands of a performing career occupying much of his attention. His story brings him together with Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), and their friendship becomes central to a series about professional ambition and the business of making films. Arian Moayed plays Agent Cleary, while X Mayo plays Janelle Jackson. Across eight episodes, this comedy-drama follows an actor’s working life within a superhero story, concentrating on the people involved in the film industry and the relationship between its two leads.

## Review

*Wonder Man* works because it takes an actor’s hopes seriously, even when those hopes are funny. This is an engaging comedy-drama, and its strongest reason to watch is the pairing of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon Williams with Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery. The superhero business is there, but it does not make the ordinary business of wanting work and company seem trivial. Across eight episodes, the series allows those concerns to hold our attention without continually apologising for its modest stakes.

Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley are persuasive company, and the show has the sense to recognise that their rapport is worth time in itself. We were more touched by Simon and Trevor’s friendship than we expected to be. The actors make affection between men in a competitive profession feel ordinary and worth taking seriously, without reducing it to embarrassment or a joke. Their scenes together are the reason the small scale works: we care how these two people get along.

Andrew Guest is among the writers, and the writing is strongest when it treats performing as work that people care about. The film-industry detail gives the comedy something more useful than a collection of familiar complaints about Hollywood. We would have welcomed a little more bite, though, particularly when the fondness for performers softens the scrutiny of the business around them. Anyone coming for a ruthless account of the industry may find the satire too comfortable.

That interest in the working environment also gives the visual craft a useful purpose. Cinematographers Armando Salas and Brett Pawlak, alongside production designers Cindy Chao and Michele Yu, help make the film business a credible setting for small human concerns. We get more from the sense of people pursuing a profession than from the prospect of superhero spectacle. The setting matters because the characters want to belong there, and the series makes that desire understandable even when we might question the wisdom of it.

Gina Sansom, Cassie Dixon and Nena Erb share the editing credits; Joel P. West provides the music. We value the overall restraint here, although neither the cutting nor the score makes as strong an impression as the performers. The low-key pace suits the companionship, but it also lets the gentler comedy occupy more space than it merits. A little less indulgence would have helped without requiring anyone to put on a cape.

Directors Destin Daniel Cretton, Stella Meghie, Tiffany Johnson and James Ponsoldt keep the emphasis on character, which gives the series a clear place within superhero television. It is for people who still enjoy the genre but would like its inhabitants to have interests beyond preventing catastrophe. That is a modest ambition, and the show meets it with enough feeling to justify the smaller scale. It need not be sold as a correction to every other superhero programme to be worth watching.

The caveat is that its friendliness limits how far the showbusiness comedy can go. Even so, Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley make these characters worth spending time with, and we recommend the series for the care it takes over their friendship. Come for the actors, and do not expect Hollywood to suffer much damage.

*Fi1m score 82, published 11 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like it, and they like it for the same reason: it is a Marvel series that has almost nothing to do with Marvel. Thirteen of fifteen reviews are positive. The praise clusters on the two leads. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley, back as Trevor Slattery, are singled out again and again for a friendship the reviews find credible and, in places, moving. The Hollywood satire and the low stakes are counted as strengths rather than shortfalls, and several writers call it the franchise’s best television in years.

The spread is fairly narrow and nobody is hostile. The reservations come from two places. Vulture finds it amiable but only okay, and thinks it retreats from its better instincts into familiar Marvel habits. Den of Geek warns it may underwhelm depending on what you come for. Even among admirers there is a note of melancholy: The Independent enjoys it but suspects it arrives too late to rescue a declining franchise.

## Straight answers

**Is Wonder Man worth watching?**

*Wonder Man* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys superhero television but would like its characters to have lives beyond averting disaster, and we scored it 82. The pairing of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley is the chief pleasure across its eight episodes. Those hoping for a ruthless account of Hollywood will find the satire too comfortable.

**Where can I watch Wonder Man in Mexico?**

*Wonder Man* is streaming on Disney+ in Mexico. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Wonder Man, and is it suitable for children?**

*Wonder Man* carries a UK 12 certificate (US TV-14), so it is a comedy-drama about an actor's working life rather than a violent or frightening series. Our review found nothing to warn the squeamish about; the emphasis is on friendship and the film business, not spectacle. Younger children may simply find the showbusiness concerns dull rather than upsetting.

**How does Wonder Man compare to Extras?**

*Wonder Man* is the warmer and gentler of the two, while [*Extras*](https://film.one/tv/extras) is the sharper comedy about actors waiting for work. Both are interested in bruised egos and behaving normally around famous people, but Gervais and Merchant are far crueller about the industry, and funnier for it. Choose *Wonder Man* for the friendship between its leads, and *Extras* if you want Hollywood to suffer.

**What should I watch after Wonder Man?**

After *Wonder Man*, try [*Extras*](https://film.one/tv/extras) (2005, Fi1m 81): Actors, bruised egos and the difficulty of behaving normally around famous people. Then [*The Dresser*](https://film.one/film/the-dresser) (1983, Fi1m 80): Backstage companionship, professional vanity and two men who need each other.

### Reviews we read (15)

- **IndieWire**, Ben Travers (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the limited series a meta charmer powered by two beaming leads, secluded from the rest of the MCU and focused on a struggling actor's journey. It is a testament to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's star power. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/wonder-man-review-yahya-abdul-mateen-marvel-series-1235174728/)
- **The Guardian** (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the series a little gem and a triumph of storytelling, praising its focus on character relationships and acting craft over superhero spectacle. It highlights the tender depiction of male friendship and the film industry as the show's real strengths. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/28/wonder-man-review-marvel-tv-show-with-almost-no-superhero-action-disney-plus)
- **The Telegraph** (4/5): The critic calls it Marvel’s best new TV show in years and a sharp, accessible retreat from fan-service-heavy entries. It singles out Ben Kingsley’s poignant performance as Trevor Slattery for particular praise. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/marvel-wonder-man-disney-review/)
- **Variety**, Alison Herman (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the show as a refreshing, low-stakes Marvel series focused on character-driven showbiz satire and the endearing bromance between the leads, rather than superhero spectacle. They single out the platonic chemistry between Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley for praise. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/wonder-man-review-marvel-disney-1236641210/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the series an endearingly low-key and charming dramedy that succeeds by focusing on ordinary human concerns rather than superhero spectacle. She singles out the fun and fizzy bromance between Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley as the main reason to watch. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/wonder-man-review-disney-ben-kingsley-yahya-abdul-mateen-1236481754/)
- **The Independent**, Louis Chilton (75/100, inferred): The critic finds it the best MCU property in years thanks to its character-driven Hollywood satire and strong lead performances, but argues it is too little too late for a declining franchise. It singles out the credible, nuanced friendship between the leads for praise. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/wonder-man-marvel-disney-mcu-yahya-abdul-mateen-b2911024.html)
- **Radio Times**, Huw Fullerton (7.4/10): The review highlights the meta take on the superhero world through an aspiring actor with secret powers auditioning for a film remake, aided by Ben Kingsley's character. It calls the industry gags and creative stories worth the price of admission. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-v3sfhs/wonder-man/)
- **Empire**, Amon Warmann (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the series as one of the best MCU shows for its focus on a bromance between two actors and meditation on the acting profession rather than superhero spectacle. The sincerity of the leads' journeys and excellent supporting cast stand out as highlights. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/wonder-man/)
- **Vulture**, Nicholas Quah (50/100, inferred): The review finds the series amiable in its Hollywood buddy comedy concept and human-scale ambitions but ultimately just okay, backing away from its most interesting instincts in execution. It praises the mundane elements like insurance policies but criticizes calibration and concessions to Marvel tropes. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/wonder-man-mcu-marvel-disney-series-review.html)
- **Collider**, Aidan Kelley (9/10): The critic calls Wonder Man the MCU's best and smartest TV show since Loki, a refreshing cure for superhero fatigue. They praise its grounded, character-driven approach focused on Hollywood satire and authentic industry details over typical high-stakes superhero action. [Read](https://collider.com/wonder-man-show-review-disney-plus/)
- **The Ringer**, Daniel Chin (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the series as a truly self-contained MCU story with low stakes focused on an actor's journey, highlighting the chemistry between leads and its subversion of typical superhero endings. They single out the emotional core of the friendship and the satisfying, thematic finale. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2026/01/29/marvel/wonder-man-tv-review-marvel-mcu)
- **NME** (4/5): The review calls it a pleasingly low-key, matey and meta miniseries that places characters behind the scenes of a Hollywood movie remake in a self-referential way. It praises the central bromance between the leads, moving moments, and character-focused approach that avoids standard superhero tropes. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/wonder-man-review-yahya-abdul-mateen-ben-kingsley-marvel-3924664)
- **/Film**, BJ Colangelo (7.5/10): The critic views it as a grounded, mature character study that pulls back the curtain on the MCU and solidifies elements from prior films like Shang-Chi. They single out the strong performances, especially the bromance with Trevor Slattery, and a standout standalone episode as highlights. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/2082427/wonder-man-review/)
- **Paste** (B-): The review finds it a mostly pleasant binge with some unexpectedly moving moments, thanks to engaging lead performances and nice chemistry between Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley. It notes the subdued marketing and binge release format but highlights the character-driven story of a struggling actor pursuing his big break. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/wonder-man-review-tv-disney-plus-marvel)
- **Den of Geek**, Kirsten Howard (3/5): The critic describes it as a wholesome series that cares more about its characters than the broader MCU, succeeding in separating itself from the franchise while possibly feeling underwhelming depending on expectations. They single out the short sitcom-length episodes and strong character focus for praise, alongside one standout episode that deepens the lore. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/wonder-man-review-marvel/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Andrew Guest, Destin Daniel Cretton
- **Creator:** Andrew Guest, Destin Daniel Cretton
- **Director:** Destin Daniel Cretton, Tiffany Johnson, Stella Meghie, James Ponsoldt
- **Writer:** Andrew Guest, Julia Lerman, Roja Gashtili, Kira Talise, Paul Welsh, Zeke Nicholson, Madeline Walter, Anayat Fakhraie
- **Cinematography:** Armando Salas, Brett Pawlak
- **Editor:** Gina Sansom, Nena Erb, Cassie Dixon
- **Music:** Joel P. West
- **Production design:** Cindy Chao, Michele Yu
- **Costume design:** Joy Cretton
- **Producer:** Anayat Fakhraie, Bonnie Muñoz
- **Cast:** Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams; Arian Moayed as Agent Cleary; X Mayo as Janelle Jackson; Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery; Julieta Ortega as Melanie; Ashley Greene as Ashley Greene; Bechir Sylvain as Sanford; Olivia Thirlby as Vivian
- **Release (Mexico):** 27 January 2026
- **Genres:** Comedy, Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHuWmjXsReU

## Where to watch in Mexico

- Disney+: streaming, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-11.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Extras* (2005), Fi1m 81: Actors, bruised egos and the difficulty of behaving normally around famous people. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/extras.md)
- *Living in Oblivion* (1995): For the daily indignities of making films, with considerably less professional composure.
- *Day for Night* (1973): For more affection towards the people doing the work behind the camera.
- *Luck by Chance* (2009): Another actor’s ambitions expose a film business that rarely rewards talent alone.
- *The Dresser* (1983), Fi1m 80: Backstage companionship, professional vanity and two men who need each other. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-dresser.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/wonder-man