Find the Role Within

As we’ve noted on the site before, Marvel’s cinematic output as of late has been spotty. You’ll get some decent works, like Fantastic Four: First Steps or Thunderbolts* stuffed in and around some pretty tepid numbers, like Ironheart or Marvel Zombies. It certainly feels better now than it did deep in the doldrums of Phases IV and V, back when almost everything seems bland and uninteresting, but that’s still not a high bar to rise above, especially when fans can still remember the glory days of the Marvel Cinematic UniverseWhen it first began in 2008 with a little film called Iron Man no one suspected the empire that would follow. Superhero movies in the past, especially those not featuring either Batman or Superman, were usually terrible. And yet, Iron Man would lead to a long series of successful films, launching the most successful cinema brand in history: the Marvel Cinematic Universe., from the rise of Iron Man to the graceful conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. Marvel has to work hard to win back the fans.

Wonder Man both is and isn’t the series to do that. On the one hand it’s a solid, singular vision that really gives us a new take, a new perspective on the MCU. It’s an interesting, different kind of slice of life than what we’ve seen, featuring a character that has superpowers but, unlike just about every other main player we’ve seen in the MCU, doesn’t actually want them. It makes for a different kind of watch, one that does feel pretty compelling once you get into the meat of it and start really enjoying the characters.

But, at the same time, the main character is also not the easiest guy to like. He’s self-centered and self-absorbed, and while he acknowledges this and says he’s working on it, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s not always the most enjoyable person to be around. It makes for a weird series where you really like the story but kind of hate the main character, and I think that could lead to some people tuning out of the series before they even give it a chance just because the lead character is who he is.

Wonder Man focuses on Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), an aspiring actor who just can’t get out of his own head. He has a gig on American Horror Story that he immediately botches when he gets too deep trying to analyze his character, on set, delaying the production to the point that his character (who only had one line) gets written out of the show. That’s been the story for him every time he gets the part: he has the talent, but he can’t get out of his own way and just act. It’s always a struggle for him to “find the character”.

Things shift in his favor, though, when he meets Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), the former Mandarin and current actor trying to make it once again in Hollywood. Trevor takes an instant shine to Simon, and the two start working together on getting parts, especially once roles for the Wonder Man remake (Simon’s favorite film) come up. But Trevor isn’t just there to help Simon; he’s been tasked by the Department of Damage Control to get evidence that Simon is a super-powered individual. If he is, DODC wants to take him into custody (maybe even use him). Because Simon might just be one of the most powerful super-people around, if he could get himself under control.

The best parts of Wonder Man could also be viewed as its worst parts as well. The series is something Hollywood loves to make: stories about Hollywood. The show is all about Simon trying to make it big, trying to find himself, trying to land that next big part. It gets itself deep into the world of Hollywood culture, agents and writing and production, letting it all drift towards this side of parody. But Hollywood loves that, and it plays like a very knowing, inside story all about Hollywood itself.

Which isn’t a bad thing since it certainly makes the series feel lived in. The slice of the world we’re in is one of the best, most natural that the MCU has given us in some time. Outside of Simon’s superpowers there’s nothing fantastical or weird about the world of Wonder Man. It’s a normal city, a normal world, and it has a very natural feel to it. It feels even more lived in than, say, the slice of New York that Ironheart took place in, or the animated portions of Wakanda from Eyes of Wakanda. It feels like a living, breathing slice of Hollywood, almost like the city of glitz and glamor is its own character on the show.

That’s part of why Simon works so well in context. He’s a self-absorbed and self-centered guy, yes, but then that’s every aspiring actor in Hollywood. He’s a stand-in for every actor trying to make it in the stardom grind, doing whatever they can to get noticed, to make their big break mean something. That’s part of why Simon is so stuck in his own head: he knows that he has to be good when he finally gets his shot because, otherwise, it’s back to obscurity with his big chance blown.

But his secret also weighs on him. He can’t truly get in touch with himself because who he really is, he thinks, is scary. He has superpowers which (after the “Doorman Incident” which is explained in the series) would make him verboten in Hollywood. You can’t act and have superpowers. That’s the rule. If his secret came out, he’d be screwed. So he buries it, keeps it from everyone, never truly letting anyone it. And it keeps him from tapping into his true self because he thinks the powers are all he has.

Slattery’s character is the humanizing element and it makes the show watchable. What started as a caricature back in Iron Man 3 has grown into a flesh out, living and breathing character. Kingsley found the true heart of the character for this performance and he not only makes his own character watchable but he also helps to redeem Simon as well. Simon on his own would be a chore to be around, but Simon with Slattery is a great time. You love watching the two of them together, which in turn means you want to stick around and watch the show further.

But it is a double-edged sword because you have to like these two in order to stick around. Simon isn’t great on his own, even if his character is realistic. Slattery is fantastic, but he is also a one-time terrorist and murderer (something the show plays off as a joke, repeatedly). If you can invest in the friendship dynamic between the two guys then this show really sings. But if you can’t really get into Simon’s story, or don’t like Slattery’s character, this whole production effectively falls apart.

Wonder Man, then, lives or dies on its characters. I really liked the characters, andI felt like the journey they go on across the show’s eight episodes feels earned and honest. But I have heard already that some don’t like Simon and that was enough to ruin the show for them. That’s fair, and I can’t necessarily argue with them. Simon’s journey takes time, and he has to learn and grow as the show goes on. He’s not as far along his path as some Marvel heroes (and he’s not even a hero, really), so that could be off-putting for many. If you can get into the show, I think you’ll find Wonder Man to be one of Marvel’s best in some time. But if you can’t get behind the characters, well, this show probably won’t work for you at all.