WARNING: MAJOR Spoilers ahead for “Wonder Man”
After years of waiting and anticipation, it is finally here. Marvel Television released all eight episodes of “Wonder Man” on Jan. 27, the title based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and to be honest, it is one of their best works in the past few years.
This show is one of the unique projects that I have seen in a while because throughout the series, each episode felt like its own separate story while staying loyal to one fully connected story. Each episode and character served a purpose in the main character’s journey. It started with a character struggling to find a role and ended with him becoming a well-respected actor, teaching us lessons of growth and resilience through what he had endured.
The series revolves around a decade-long struggling actor named Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who is passionate about the movie scene, but unfortunately tends to overthink them, leading to him being an inefficient co-star who is always released from his roles. He then hears about the remake of a popular in-universe superhero film called “Wonder Man,” which has a special place in his heart. So, he decides to audition. While in the process of auditioning, he befriends a washed-up actor named Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) and they go on an unexpected journey that centers around a genuine friendship.
They bond over the fact that they were both auditioning for the lead role of Wonder Man. Slattery even helps Williams calm his nerves for the audition, unbeknownst to Williams that Slattery is only interacting with him because he is acting as a confidential informant for Agent P. Cleary (Arian Moayed) of the Department of Damage Control in order to keep himself out of prison. All in an effort to confirm Williams’ dark secret: he has superpowers! As the show progresses, Slattery keeps stalling on giving Cleary intel on Williams even though he actually collects at different times from times they shared together, like his mother’s birthday. However, he begins to develop a liking for the young actor and begins to mentor him, thus becoming less intent on getting him arrested and genuinely sees him as a friend.
The show digressed a bit, showing the backstory in Episode 4 behind a famous MCU Hollywood law: superpowered beings were disallowed from being in Hollywood. The story is told through bouncer-turned-actor DeMarr Davis (Byron Bowers). A mysterious entity known as the Darkforce gives DeMarr the powers to transport people to any place via his guts and he becomes known as “Doorman.” He became a Hollywood superstar. At some point, like many public figures, his popularity stagnated. So to stay relevant, he enlists his friend Josh Gad, to help him land a new role. Of course, his role involves teleporting items that results in an accident where Gad disappears without a trace. Doorman gets blacklisted from Hollywood as his punishment and the Doorman Clause was created. This is the first lesson that this show teaches aspiring filmmakers and actors.
Williams and Slattery’s friendship is then tested when a New York Times entertainment writer Kathy Friedman (Lauren Weedman) has a joint interview with Williams and Slattery. Slattery’s secret is exposed when Kathy mentions that he was arrested in LAX and somehow escaped. Rightfully so, Williams feels betrayed, thus letting his temper get the best of him and he uses his powers to blow up the set of the film, then quickly escapes. Slattery decides to show his loyalty by donning the Mandarin persona, clearing Williams’ name and resulting in his arrest. The second lesson falls into place here: be careful of who you befriend in the industry because not everyone wants to see you fly.
Once Williams becomes a well-respected actor in the season finale, he stays with a family claiming he wants to study them to make a movie on their family’s patriarch. Surprisingly, the family lives very near to a Department of Damage Control supermax prison where Slattery is held and, in fact, where the patriarch works. When Williams and the family’s patriarchy visit the prison, Williams sneaks away, breaking Slattery out of prison and flying into the night. A symbol of their true friendship, we convey the third and final lesson — to maintain your genuine friendships in the industry.
I relate a lot to Williams. He has a certain drive to achieve his dreams no matter who or what attempts to stop him. He also has this fear of disappointing his family and loved ones, especially his mother. I’m quite sure that as a student I feel the same, but it may be especially so for those who are first generation or come from low-income backgrounds. We always feel this drive to make our loved ones proud; Williams felt this way about everyone, including his brother, who he was on the outs with due to his struggling film and television career.
“Wonder Man” is a rather unique show. It surprised the world with how great it is. It is a non-superhero show that is set in a shared superhero universe that has little exhibition of traditional superpowers or villains. Before its release, many on social media weren’t interested in the idea of a non-superhero superhero show. But they were proven wrong. If anything, shows like “Wonder Man,” similar to Apple TV’s “The Studio,” that portray the realities of being in the film industry are really creative projects and should receive more recognition.
“Wonder Man” is about to get a second season and I couldn’t be more excited.