Wonder Man

9 / 10 “Everyone is tired of superheroes. There is an opportunity to reimagine a whole genre of storytelling.” In 2013 MCU fans were introduced to Ben Kingsley’s character, “The Mandarin”, in Iron Man 3, also known as Trevor Slattery. Marvel flipped the script and pulled one of the biggest, and honestly unpopular twists in the MCU. The tyrannical leader, was all an act. He was actually just an actor, hired to play a part. I even remember hating the twist when I first watched the movie, and now have grown to appreciate Iron Man 3 much more. Fast forward 13 years, and Trevor is now a focal point in a new story, with a character some Marvel fans might not know, Simon Williams aka, Wonder Man. Other MCU shows have surprised me with how enjoyable and fun they are, but Wonder Man truly is an exceptional piece of story telling from Marvel. I feel confident even stating, in my opinion, this is one of the best written projects we have ever seen in the MCU. Nearly 20 years now, and an 8-episode mini series about an aspiring actor trying to make it, and the struggles and secrets he has lived with, was never on my radar.  I often say how new movies or series in the MCU, “feel like a breath of air” but I am really struggling not to say that again here. We have never gotten anything even remotely close to this. Yes, Wonder Man has powers, but that is not what makes this so special. It’s the story telling. It’s the chemistry between Simon and Trevor. It’s the simplicity of the plot. It’s the originality and direction. And it’s the casting, of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams. Absolutely born to play this role.  I absolutely loved this so much and also knowing the creator, Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi also directed the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, gets me even more excited. Putting the characters and story at the forefront and letting the spectacle take a backseat, is sometimes the write move. I’m so happy.