Disney and Marvel’s TV show output has seen better and more consistent days. For ever WandaVision and Daredevil (Netflix), there’s a She-Hulk, Ironheart, and Daredevil: Born Again. Hopefully with the studio’s past restructuring and trimmed output, we’ll be seeing more quality shows here and there on the Disney+ comic book side of things that have room to breathe and flex creativity-wise, and even keep things short and to the point. Like Marvel’s Wonder Man.

Ion Dream

Yes, the Marvel Avengers member in the comics is finally making his debut not as a villain, but as a struggling actor who is keeping his ion superpowers a secret from the business. See, in Hollywood, the studios have enacted a Door Man Clause where superheroes are banned from acting in movies. Enter Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) as he lives in Los Angeles for so many years, going through gigs and self-sabotaging them in the process due to his ego and uncontrolled meddling. He’s a talented and gifted actor as seen in his auditions and tapes, but he wants to be part of any show’s creative process be it small or big roles, still unaware that’s not how Hollywood works.

Then comes Marvel alumni Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley): legendary actor who played a terrorist in Iron Man 3 -the Mandarin- and somehow got out of jail time to be back in Hollywood. He bumps into Simon and the two became fast friends, sharing the same passion for film and acting, though it is Trevor who acts as the mentor who tempers Simon’s attitude and how to approach things in a corporate-ish run movie-making landscape. See, the two of them are attempting to land a gig for the reboot of a superhero kistch show Wonder Man; Simon is a fan of the show since his youth and Trevor just wants to get back to the swing of things post-Mandarin.

What works in this 8-episode show is the chemistry between Simon and Trevor: both have baggages they need to sort out but rely on each other for improving their craft while also sharing their secrets. Simon never had a friend save his ex-girlfriend; he never opens up, not even to his mom and brother, though for good reason. Trevor’s history is out in public, but he always puts on a positive face and trucks on, being the acting veteran whose past shady dealings and current predicament catch up with him. All these escalate in the final few episodes, though the human element still stands. There’s even one episode dedicated to the aforementioned Door Man Clause that led to Simon being who he is: a man with a superpowered secret who really only has acting going for him. While not exactly complex viewing, what this Wonder Man show makes it up plenty is heart: you should never give up on your dreams despite setbacks, but you also need to do some introspective for yourself, and lean on friends when needed.

Wonder Wall

Marvel’s Wonder Man kicks off the new year with its decent-if-simple premise & its execution spanning 8 bite-sized episodes, elevated by Yahya Abdul Mateen II and Ben Kingsley’s respective leads. Most of the comedy hits, and its lore-building in an established Marvel Cinematic Universe setpiece does add a bit more to an unseen side, albeit a star-studded one.

It’s definitely up there with Marvel TV fares like Loki and WandaVision as good-ass television that gets to the point and doesn’t meander from its morals: fame is fleeting but friendship is forever.

Final Score: 90/100

Early review screeners provided by distributor.