Marvel's Wonder Man Preview Reveals Marvel's Most Self-Referential TV Show Ever

The Marvel studio is aware that audiences might be experiencing some superhero exhaustion, so they've decided to include this exact idea into their upcoming superhero show.

That's right, the first preview for Wonder Man has arrived, and it promises a self-referential angle on the MCU.

The trailer, which debuted on Oct. 10, also subtly pushed the Wonder Man launch date back from its initial end of 2025 slot into early 2026.

Why another superhero film? Everyone is tired of superhero content. Why go see them in the cinema? Wonder Man spoke to me on a profound level. There is an opportunity to surprise viewers. To reinvent the whole genre of storytelling.

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

The preview then cuts to series star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who's watching the interview on his phone, and the preview ends.

Image: Marvel

What We Know About Wonder Man

We were previously aware that Wonder Man would be a self-referential interpretation on the MCU. The show features Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the character Simon Williams, a film star who transforms into a super-powered being (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 agent Neal Saroyan, and Arian Moayed coming back as Department of Damage Control officer P. Cleary.

Marvel's Meta-Humor Strategy

We don't know much else about the plot of Wonder Man, but it's evident that Marvel plans to laugh at its own tropes.

In the aftermath of Deadpool & Wolverine, it appears like the production company is fully committed on meta-humor. Will that work without the star power of its previous leads? Only time will tell.