Marvel's Wonder Man Preview Unveils Marvel's Most Self-Referential TV Show To Date

The Marvel studio is aware that viewers might be experiencing some superhero exhaustion, so they've decided to include that very idea into their next superhero series.

Indeed, the debut trailer for Wonder Man has arrived, and it promises a self-referential angle on the MCU.

The preview, which premiered on Oct. 10, also quietly pushed the Wonder Man launch date later from its original late 2025 window into January 2026.

Why one more superhero movie? People is tired of superhero content. Why watch them in the cinema? Wonder Man resonated with me on a deep level. There is an opportunity to shock viewers. To reinvent the entire category of narrative.

The reporter replies: "Have you given any thought about casting?"

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

Image: Marvel Comics Group

What We Know Regarding Wonder Man

We already knew that Wonder Man would be a meta take on the MCU. The show stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a Hollywood actor who becomes a superhero (the hero Wonder Man).

The supporting cast includes Ben Kingsley reprising his role 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 don't know much else about the plot of Wonder Man, but it's clear that Marvel intends to poke some fun at itself.

In the aftermath of Deadpool & Wolverine, it seems like the studio is fully committed on meta-humor. Will that work without the star power of its previous leads? We'll have to wait and see.