The first reaction suggests that Wonder Man could be the best series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, which is saying something considering the high bar set by WandaVision and Agatha All Along. 2025 has been a rather busy year for Marvel Studios, having released three live-action films, three animated series, and currently two live-action series, with a third on the way in the form of Wonder Man. Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man focuses on super-powered actor Simon Williams as he auditions for a role in an upcoming superhero reboot in what could be the MCU’s most meta series.
Wonder Man is scheduled to debut in December 2025 and might be the high note to end the MCU’s ambitious 2025 slate if rumors are to be believed. According to scooper Daniel Richtman, via The Direct, he has “talked to people who saw Wonder Man and was told it’s ‘the best Marvel show.'” This is worth taking with some consideration, given this is a second account from the series, and it is unclear who, if anyone, has seen the series. Yet, it is certainly an exciting prospect if true.
‘Wonder Man’ Will End the MCU on a High Note
Simon Williams / Wonder Man was created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck and originally appeared in The Avengers #9 in October 1964 as a villain before eventually turning into a hero and a mainstay of the Avengers roster. The Wonder Man series was officially announced in June 2022 and is produced by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton as part of his multi-year deal with Marvel Studios he signed back in December 2021. Wonder Man will have some loose connection to Shang-Chi as the series will also see the return of Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, who originated in Iron Man 3 as the controversial, fake Mandarin and was last seen in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Marvel Studios is all in on Destin Daniel Cretton, as he is currently filming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was originally set to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty before the film was reworked into Avengers: Doomsday. This might explain why a sequel to Shang-Chi has taken so long, as Cretton has been busy developing other MCU projects. While it is disappointing for fans of Shang-Chi, if the rumors regarding Wonder Man‘s quality are true, he might be the magic touch the MCU needs.
Wonder Man is part of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which kicked off with The Fantastic Four: First Steps and has so far included Eyes of Wakanda and Marvel Zombies. It, along with the upcoming Vision Quest series, is two of the last live-action MCU Disney+ series that were greenlit in the initial rush to capitalize on streaming. Since then, the studio has refocused its efforts on live-action films, with the only series currently announced beyond 2026 being Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, which likely will debut in 2027. If Wonder Man is as good as this early word of mouth suggests, hopefully the character returns in future MCU projects and has a place in whatever Marvel has planned beyond Avengers: Secret Wars.
- Release Date
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December, 2025
- Network
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Disney+
- Writers
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Andrew Guest
