Marvel Goes Meta: Wonder Man Trailer Reveals a Story About an Actor, Not a Hero
As 2025 winds down, Marvel released the first official trailer for its first live-action series of the new year, Wonder Man, at the New York Comic Con (NYCC) a few days ago.
Wonder Man is set to premiere on Disney+ on January 27 next year. This series is created by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Andrew Guest (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), with Guest serving as showrunner and Cretton directing the first two episodes. Other episode directors include James Ponsoldt (The Circle). Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen) will star as the protagonist Simon Williams / Wonder Man. Demetrius Grosse and Golden Globe winner Ed Harris (Westworld, The Truman Show) will play his brother and manager, respectively, with Grosse's character being the comic book villain Grim Reaper. Also returning are Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as comedic actor Trevor Slattery, and Arian Moayed (Ms. Marvel) as Damage Control agent P. Cleary. European Film Award winner for Best Actor Zlatko Burić (Triangle of Sadness), Olivia Thirlby (Goliath), Lauren Glazier (Mindhunter), Josh Gad (voice of Olaf from Frozen series), Byron Bowers (Lady in the Lake) and Emmy winner Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, The Sopranos) will also appear.
This series, like Echo, will be released under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner, suggesting a more grounded approach with less direct connection to the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) storyline. The show will present a comedic take on the Hollywood entertainment industry, following Simon Williams as he auditions for a leading role in a superhero film, Wonder Man. The trailer, which focuses heavily on Hollywood filmmaking and a fictional Wonder Man movie-within-the-show, looks remarkably different from a typical Marvel project. It contains very few traditional superhero elements, marking a significant and meta breakthrough for the MCU.
In addition to the trailer, Marvel also released the series poster.
Marvel Studios also used the New York Comic Con panel to announce its release schedule for the upcoming 2026 series and animation:
January: Wonder Man
March: Daredevil: Born Again Season 2
Summer: X-Men '97 Season 2
Fall: VisionQuest and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2
If you are interested in upcoming TV series to be released in Canada, please visit the TV Premiere Schedule page on this website!
Photo and Source: Marvel