Wonder Man Preview Reveals The MCU's Most Self-Referential TV Show To Date

The Marvel studio has heard that audiences might be experiencing some superhero fatigue, so they've opted to include this exact concept into their upcoming superhero series.

Indeed, the debut preview for Wonder Man has arrived, and it pledges a self-referential angle on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The trailer, which premiered on October 10th, also quietly pushed the Wonder Man launch date later from its original late 2025 slot into January 2026.

Why another superhero film? Everyone is weary of superhero content. Why watch them in the cinema? Wonder Man resonated with me on a deep level. There is an opportunity to surprise viewers. To reinvent the entire genre of narrative.

The interviewer responds: "Have you given any thought about the cast?"

The trailer then cuts to lead actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who's viewing the conversation on his mobile device, and the preview ends.

Photo: Marvel

Key Details About Wonder Man

We already knew that Wonder Man would be a self-referential interpretation on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the character Simon Williams, a film star who becomes a superhero (the hero Wonder Man).

The rest of the cast features Ben Kingsley returning as Iron Man 3's Trevor Slattery, Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams (also known as Grim Reaper), Ed Harris as Simon's manager Neal Saroyan, and Arian Moayed coming back as Department of Damage Control agent P. Cleary.

Marvel's Self-Referential Comedy Approach

We have limited information about the storyline of Wonder Man, but it's evident that Marvel plans to laugh at its own tropes.

In the aftermath of Deadpool & Wolverine, it seems like the production company is fully committed on meta-humor. Will this approach succeed without the celebrity appeal of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman? We'll have to wait and see.