TAGGED AS: marvel cinematic universe, streaming, Superheroes, TV
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as the titular superhero in Wonder Man, Marvel’s first live-action TV series in half a year, and he’s earning rave reviews. The meta-comedic show follows Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man, as he pursues a role in Hollywood with help from the returning MCU character Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley). As part of the “Marvel Spotlight” banner, this is a smaller, more grounded piece of the franchise, and the first reviews of the show praise its character development, the chemistry between its two stars, and its mostly standalone story.
Here’s what critics are saying about Wonder Man:
Wonder Man is the best Marvel story in years… This is everything that made me love Marvel in the first place.
— Joonatan Itkonen, Region Free
Wonder Man stands apart from the rest of the MCU as a warm and witty buddy comedy… a low-key gem that’s up there with the MCU’s best work.
— Will Salmon, GamesRadar+
Wonder Man is a bromance for the ages… an introspective MCU journey unlike anything we’ve experienced before, and one that’s well worth your time.
— Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
Wonder Man is a breath of fresh air and exactly the unique content that Marvel Television should continue to produce on its TV side.
— Kyle Wilson, The Lamplight Review
This one just feels like a breath of fresh air for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is well worth the watch.
— Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue
Wonder Man proves that the most powerful Marvel stories aren’t about saving the world, but about learning how to live in it.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation
More intimate stories like Wonder Man are what give me genuine hope for the future of Marvel.
— BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
It’s one of the best shows in the MCU to date.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine
It’s the most original MCU TV series since WandaVision.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
Wonder Man shares an awful lot in common with 2024’s Echo. Like that show, it’s a smaller, character-driven series.
— Jesse Schedeen, IGN Movies
Other Marvel shows have played with their formats before, of course, but they have always reflexively snapped back into the shape of “just another superhero series” by the end of their runs. Wonder Man, though, is genuinely different.
— Will Salmon, GamesRadar+
Even when the plot clicks fully into gear, the show doesn’t lose its personality with an action-packed, effects-heavy final act, a problem that’s dogged even some of the MCU’s quirkier TV series.
— Keith Phipps, TV Guide
As a Disney+ series, Wonder Man falls into all the same structural trappings that have been widely criticized in the past… [It] feels like another movie cut up into pieces.
— Tyler Taing, Discussing Film
It doesn’t concern itself with setting up the next big event or even earning Simon a place on a superhero team. It’s ultimately all the better for it.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
It was unclear how Williams would fit into the ever-growing MCU… Happily, the answer is simple: he doesn’t fit in – and that’s the point.
— Will Salmon, GamesRadar+
You forget while watching that the show is connected back to the MCU… It really works to allow Wonder Man to be unique and fun and not find some way to bring it back to the MCU at large.
— Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue
These smaller-scale projects… remind audiences that the MCU wasn’t built solely on crossover events, but on compelling individuals whose personal journeys made those larger moments resonate.
— BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
The series will feel familiar if you’ve watched recent series The Franchise on HBO Max or The Studio on Apple TV.
— Julian Lytle, RIOTUS
This is effectively Marvel doing a Hollywood meta-comedy, somewhat in the vein of Apple TV’s The Studio.
— Will Salmon, GamesRadar+
If you enjoyed Apple TV’s The Studio, this expertly paced “Marvel Spotlight” will scratch that itch with a superhero twist.
— Kyle Wilson, The Lamplight Review
While it shares some qualities with TV’s last great showbiz satire The Studio, the inside Hollywood humor here is gentler and more realistically observed.
— Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle
It includes enough superpowered intrigue… All in all, Wonder Man is the cure to superhero fatigue, telling a story like no other.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
This is the sort of show you could present to somebody with no interest in comic book characters whatsoever, and they’d still instantly get what it’s doing, where the superpowers add an additional element, but are not the point of the piece.
— Will Salmon, GamesRadar+
It’s often easy to forget, particularly in the early episodes, that, oh yeah, Wonder Man is also an MCU show. But superpowered tensions simmer throughout the series.
— Keith Phipps, TV Guide
It’s far from the superhero “slop” that has plagued the genre in recent years.
— Tyler Taing, Discussing Film
There’s substance to go with that style, delivering an emotionally moving, powerful story that simultaneously pays off its gags and, perhaps most importantly, makes you care.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
The series is wickedly self-aware while also having something to say.
— Kyle Wilson, The Lamplight Review
What makes Wonder Man so clever and heartfelt [is] its ability to give comic book characters real human feelings, emotions, and situations.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation
The series is carried almost entirely by its two leads, but they’re elevated by sharp writing.
— Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
Wonder Man wants to come across as sharp and witty, but by playing everything at surface level, it actually exposes itself as quite out of touch and corporate.
— Tyler Taing, Discussing Film
Genuinely funny.
— Will Salmon, GamesRadar+
There’s so much well-observed industry humor that I couldn’t not get a kick out of it.
— Simon Gallagher, ComicBook.com
The series is barely interested in satirizing Hollywood and not really interested in satirizing superhero movies at all.
— Reuben Baron, Looper.com
It fails at a fundamental level by saying nothing of value about the film industry it’s choosing to satirize… It is neither funny nor scathing enough to pass for satire
— Tyler Taing, Discussing Film
It does not [have] the sharp satirical bite toward the industry in general, or the skepticism toward and critique of big-budget IP filmmaking more specifically… a missed opportunity.
— Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter
While the series has been billed as a “superhero” show, viewers should proceed with tempered expectations if they’re anticipating large-scale action.
— Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
Wonder Man has one, yes, one fight scene… and not only is that fight brought to life by Cretton’s expert eye for action, but the lack of big stunts never even registers because of how compelling these characters and their stories are.
— Aidan Kelley, Collider
It remains resolutely average in the action sequences.
— Peter Martin, ScreenAnarchy
The one time that Simon does flex his powers in a fight, it actually feels a little out of place.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine
Some viewers may be left wanting when it comes to action scenes (alas, there’s no Wonder Man vs. Grim Reaper battle to be found here).
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
The entirety of the “Doorman” episode is flawless.
— Simon Gallagher, ComicBook.com
The standout fourth episode: rendered in black-and-white but set in modern times… is a comedic highlight.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine
With its offbeat humor and a bit of body horror, “Doorman” is reminiscent of the great experimental episodes of shows like Atlanta or Master of None, and the strongest argument for why “Wonder Man” needed to be a TV series as opposed to just a long movie.
— Reuben Baron, Looper.com
“Doorman” quickly joins the ranks of other all-time great one-off episodes like “A Dark Quiet Death” from Mythic Quest and, more recently, “Hunter” from Heated Rivalry.
— BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
There is an interesting standalone episode focused on Doorman that explains why super-powered beings are not welcome in Hollywood in this universe, but it ultimately serves little purpose.
— Alex Maidy, JoBlo’s Movie Network
Abdul-Mateen II is a revelation and delivers one of the MCU’s best performances.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
Abdul-Mateen II swiftly proves himself as one of the strongest new additions to the MCU, and one who will hopefully continue to play a significant role as the franchise moves into Phase Six and beyond.
— Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
The actor walks a fine line between over-enthusiastic and businesslike, which grounds both the character and the show around him.
— Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II brings real pathos to Williams… [His] performance emphasizes Simon’s vulnerability, broken heart, and general air of bruised decency.
— Will Salmon, GamesRadar+
The best part of Wonder Man is Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery… establishing him as one of the most memorable supporting characters in all the MCU.
— Kyle Wilson, The Lamplight Review
Kingsley delivers yet another A+ performance as fan-favorite Trevor Slattery, and he’s arguably never been better… Kingsley handles the comedy with effortless precision, but it’s in the quieter moments that the former Oscar winner truly shines.
— Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
Here his unique, slightly off-kilter energy is perfectly utilised. He’s more than just comedic relief this time round: he’s a fully realised and relatable character.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine
Ben Kingsley’s washed-up thesp, meanwhile, is written with more depth than in previous appearances… but don’t worry, he remains as singularly hilarious as before.
— Will Salmon, GamesRadar+
A never-ending delight… avoiding hamminess while indulging camp, there’s no better person than the Gandhi Oscar-winner to extoll acting’s higher calling.
— Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle
The chemistry between Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley is excellent, as they play off each other comedically while finding an emotional sweet spot beneath layers of male toxicity.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation
Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley are adorable in their bromance… Their chemistry, fun, and fizzy with a hint of melancholy, is the main reason to watch Wonder Man.
— Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter
Some might be less enthused watching two actors taking themselves perhaps a little too seriously. It’s a good job then that they’re so damn likable.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley are endlessly watchable in the lead roles.
— Will Salmon, GamesRadar+
Kingsley and Abdul-Mateen II have great chemistry, and their episodic hijinks are never not entertaining. I could’ve watched them for a lot longer than the eight episodes of this series.
— Julian Lytle, RIOTUS
Scenes where the pair are simply bonding over their favourite lines and acting experiences [are] some of the purest and sweetest in the entire MCU.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine
I still wish this Marvel series had gone even deeper into their dynamic, both mechanically and dramatically.
— Tyler Taing, Discussing Film
X Mayo plays Janelle Jackson, Simon’s agent, and steals every scene she’s in with her comic timing and perfect reaction expressions to whatever Simon has planned.
— Julian Lytle, RIOTUS
Joe Pantoliano has a few absolutely hilarious, scene-stealing appearances in this run of episodes.
— Kyle Wilson, The Lamplight Review
If the series has any weak points, it’s the decision to gloss over where the title character’s powers came from.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
More story might have been dedicated to Simon’s backstory… That is a small quibble.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation
Perhaps because of the need to adjust expectations, the first couple of episodes of Wonder Man feel a little slow.
— Reuben Baron, Looper.com
I left this series hoping that this was far from the last time we’d see Simon.
— Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue
I do wish it were longer, and I do hope we see Simon sooner rather than later.
— Julian Lytle, RIOTUS
Wonder Man: Season 1 premieres on Disney+ on January 27, 2026.
