Marvel's Wonder Man Goes Gloriously Meta in First Trailer Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Marvel used New York Comic Con weekend to unmask its most self-aware series yet: Wonder Man.
Wonder Man (2026) | Photo Credit: Marvel Studios & Disney
The first trailer introduces Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a struggling actor angling for the role of a lifetime—only to discover he might actually be the superhero the studio’s trying to cast. It’s a Hollywood satire folded into an MCU story, with the footage leaning into wry, mock-behind-the-scenes beats instead of the usual explosion reel.
Head of Marvel Television Brad Winderbaum has framed Wonder Man as a “love letter” to acting, and the footage tracks with that mission with audition rooms, studio notes, and the fragile ego of ambition, all set against a world where capes are commonplace. And from the looks of it, the series co-creator team—Shang-Chi’s Destin Daniel Cretton and Hawkeye alum Andrew Guest—gives the show its dual identity of part character study, part genre exploration.
The trailer also confirms a key returning player with Sir Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, the reformed thespian and one-time fake Mandarin whose wide-eyed earnestness has become a stealth MVP across multiple MCU entries. Here, he’s back in the audition trenches alongside Simon, a pairing that sharpens the show’s showbiz satire while threading MCU continuity. Additional connective tissue comes via Arian Moayed’s Department of Damage Control agent Cleary, last seen hassling superheroes in No Way Home and Ms. Marvel.
Fortunately, release window clarity arrived with the trailer drop, too. After floating a late-2025 window, Marvel has now staked Wonder Man to a January 27, 2026 launch on Disney+, positioning it to dodge the holiday glut and open Phase Six’s TV slate with eight episodes.
With that in mind, the teaser plays like a gamble that Marvel could benefit from by conducting itself as a comedy that winks at franchise fatigue without sneering at it, anchored by Abdul-Mateen’s proven charisma. If the full season matches the trailer’s balance of satire and sincerity, Wonder Man might just be our new favorite streaming addition to the MCU.
Watch the thrilling new trailer for Wonder Man below.
