My wife and I finished Wonder Man yesterday, which dropped last Tuesday. We did it in three viewings (1st: episodes #1-2, 2nd: episodes #3-6, 3rd: episodes #7-8). Honestly, we probably would've completed it the second night, but other things had to be attended to. We both thoroughly enjoyed it that much, and it helped that some episodes were pretty short (most are around 35 minutes, but one is only 26). I'd say, "Watch it, you won't be disappointed", but really that depends on what you like to watch, not my opinion.
However, as a huge Wonder Man fan from the late 70s, I was not very excited about the casting choices when they were announced. Not because of anything to do with the actor, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who is excellent and could possibly earn some awards for the role, but because he wouldn't look like the Wonder Man I knew and loved. Sure, Hollywood likes to switch things up for the B, C, and D-tier characters, thinking it doesn't matter. But for me, encountering Simon Williams for the first time in Avengers #160 (one of my earliest comics), he was A-list all the way...at least at the time.
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| Man, I should have gotten Fred Hembeck to do a "Redo" of this cover for me! |
Simon was recently back from the dead (literally) and was in epic conflict with his "brother" the Vision. You see, the Vision, now married to the beautiful Scarlet Witch, was actually created partially from the brain engrams of the deceased Simon Williams, setting up a love triangle for decades to come. Now, I'm not going to go into the full history of the character, but under the pencils of George Perez, he looked so cool! I will say being "dead" (ionic coma) cost him his confidence, which shifted him to B-tier along the way. However, his friendship with the bombastic Beast is legendary and a highlight of what I consider the BEST Avengers era (#150-#203) [mostly collected in the next Omnibus on sale next month].
There was a Wonder Man Omnibus, also featuring the issue above, that came out just over two years ago. It was intended to coincide with the series' release, which got held up due to writers' strikes and other delays. Regardless of the reason it was delayed, having Wonder Man debut in 2026 is an encouraging sign that projects in the pipeline will also turn out to be great. I mean, we've got the second season of Daredevil: Born Again and Avengers: Doomsday to look forward to.
So here I am, a longtime OG Wonder Man fan for 49 years, with strong opinions going into the series. How on earth did the creators win me over? Cleverly, I'll say. Or I could say, "Slattery-ly", because Ben Kingsley's portrayal as the actor terrorist ("The Mandarin" from Iron Man 3 (2013) and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)) is an essential part of the series' charm. Ben (and the writers) have turned the "joke" of the fake Mandarin into an enduring fan favorite supporting character. We started to rewatch Shang-Chi last night, just to see more of him again. And I'm fairly certain I hated seeing his drugged-out persona in Iron Man 3, the Mandarin being Iron Man's arch-nemesis from the comics. This was the same Oscar-winning actor from Gandhi (1982)? Yeah, man, and you can really see his acting chops in Wonder Man.
And while it's no big secret, the majority of the show is centered on acting and making it in Hollywood, rather than super-heroics. Simon Williams eventually became an actor in the comics. I was so into the "normal" aspect of the story that I didn't want superpowers to get in the way with it! That's why the show has broad appeal well beyond just super-hero fans and comic book geeks (of which I am one). But I'm a big-time movie buff too, and have enjoyed so many "Hollywood" movies about the industry (aren't they all about that?). From The Goodbye Girl (1977) [actually making it in NYC], to Grand Canyon (1991) [great Steve Martin performance and soundtrack], to La La Land (2016), etc. - the list is endless! As the promo picture above hints at, this is essentially a buddy flick, pairing Simon and Trevor together as genuine friends with lots of baggage, complexities, and complications. Early on, we see the two watch Midnight Cowboy (1969) together. And you can't "not" see them as a modern-day Hoffman and Voight thereafter (as intended, I'm sure).
Incidentally, Midnight Cowboy is a very rough film, especially near the end. However, it birthed one of my favorite songs of all time! The theme music was originally composed by the great Bond score-ster John Barry, but it's the version arranged by Ferrante and Teicher that I could listen to all day (and [practically] have at times). Listen here. Since I often work in the wee hours of the morning, it's kinda my theme song.
But as I write this (when I could be sleeping, if I could sleep), I realized that having Simon and Trevor be buddies together harkens to the Beast and Wondy's relationship in the comics. It's not the same per se, but the essence of genuine affection is there for sure.
I also liked how they sort of stayed true to the comic character by creating a fictionalized movie version of him (in his worst costume btw, or maybe his second-worst), where he at least looked like Wonder Man [checking off that box for me]. You can decide for yourself here. We only get glimpses of the movie Wonder Man, and aren't told much, but the dialogue suggests that he also spent some time being dead.
There is also a great standalone episode (short film, really) about an obscure comic character (even I didn't remember him) that plays a crucial role in the challenges Simon is facing.
One of the things my wife really appreciated was the way Trevor was helping his nearly incapacitated/paralyzed friend through loving support with both physical (just being there) and verbal guidance. She used more intelligent terms than that, but trust me, she saw authenticity there. And they really were a joy to watch on screen together. The whole show was grounded in sincerity.
I could say more, but I don't want to get into "spoilers". I'm a fan, and not because I've always liked Wonder Man from the comics. It's a unique take on the character, unconventional for sure, but it totally works, especially in the Hollywood setting. The positive buzz on this show is only going to increase from here!
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