Marvel's Wonder Man Preview Reveals Marvel's Most Meta TV Show Ever

The Marvel studio has heard that audiences could be feeling some superhero exhaustion, so they've opted to incorporate this exact concept into their upcoming superhero series.

That's right, the debut trailer for Wonder Man has been released, and it pledges a meta twist on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The trailer, which premiered on Oct. 10, also quietly moved the Wonder Man launch date back from its original end of 2025 slot into early 2026.

Why another superhero movie? People is tired of superhero content. Why go see them in the theater? Wonder Man resonated with me on a profound level. There is an opportunity to shock viewers. To reimagine the whole category of narrative.

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

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

Image: Marvel Comics Group

What We Know Regarding Wonder Man

We already knew that Wonder Man would be a meta take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a film star who becomes a superhero (Wonder Man).

The rest of the cast includes actor Ben Kingsley reprising his role as Iron Man 3's Trevor Slattery, Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams (aka Grim Reaper), Ed Harris as Simon's agent Neal Saroyan, and Arian Moayed coming back as Department of Damage Control officer P. Cleary.

The Studio's Meta-Humor Strategy

We don't know much else about the storyline 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 production company is all in on self-referential comedy. Will this approach succeed without the celebrity appeal of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman? We'll have to wait and see.