Wonder Man (miniseries)

''Wonder Man'' is an upcoming American television miniseries created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is intended to be one of the television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. Guest serves as showrunner. The series is also produced by Family Owned and Onyx Collective.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will star as Simon Williams / Wonder Man, alongside Ben Kingsley, Demetrius Grosse, and Ed Harris. In December 2021, Cretton signed an overall deal with Marvel Studios to create television series for Disney+, with a comedy series already in development at that point. In June 2022, the series was revealed to be centered on Wonder Man, with Guest involved, and Cretton set to direct episodes of the series. Abdul-Mateen joined the cast that October, with Stella Meghie and James Ponsoldt set to also direct in February 2023. Filming began in early April 2023 in Los Angeles, before production was shut down in late May due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. It resumed by early January 2024 and had concluded by that April.

''Wonder Man'' is expected to debut on Disney+ and is intended to consist of 10 episodes. It will be released under the " Marvel Spotlight" banner.

Cast

* Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams / Wonder Man: An actor and stuntperson who gains superpowers to become the hero Wonder Man.
* Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery:
A failed actor who previously took on the guise of the Mandarin and was abducted by the Ten Rings, becoming Xu Wenwu's "court jester".
* Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams / Grim Reaper: Simon's brother.
* Ed Harris as Neal Saroyan: Simon's agent.

Additionally, Lauren Glazier has been cast in an undisclosed supporting role, and Josh Gad has been cast in an undisclosed role.

Production

Development

In December 2021, Destin Daniel Cretton signed a multi-year deal with Marvel Studios and Onyx Collective to develop television projects for Disney+, with a comedy series already in development at that point. Cretton would produce the series through his newly created production company, Family Owned. This was in conjunction with Cretton returning to write and direct the sequel to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film '' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'' (2021). In June 2022, the series was revealed to be in early development and titled ''Wonder Man'', centered on the character Simon Williams / Wonder Man, with Andrew Guest joining to develop the series along with serving as head writer; he previously served as a consulting producer on '' Hawkeye'' (2021). Cretton was also expected to direct episodes of the series, and was set as a director that October, directing the series' first two episodes. Joe Otterson at '' Variety'' noted the series had the possibility to be a "Hollywood satire", which he felt made sense given the character's history in the comics as an actor and stuntman; the series was later reported to be a character study of Williams and explore the behind-the-scenes of Hollywood. In February 2023, James Ponsoldt entered negotiations to direct episodes of the series, while Stella Meghie was hired to direct multiple episodes of the series by the end of the month. Ponsoldt was later set as a director along with Bonnie Munoz as a producer. By October 2023, Marvel Studios shifted their creative philosophy to a more traditional television development process, moving away from head writers and began to hire dedicated showrunners for their series; Guest became showrunner for ''Wonder Man''. The series is intended to consist of 10 episodes. Executive producers of the series include Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige alongside Guest and Cretton. Onyx Collective also produces the series.

Writing

Kira Talise, Madeline Walter, Paul Bradford Welsh, Anayat Fakhraie, Zeke Nicholson, Roja Gashtili, and Julia Lerman worked on the series.

Casting

In August 2022, Ben Kingsley was revealed to be reprising his MCU role of Trevor Slattery in the series, which was said to be a "major role". In October, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was cast as Simon Williams / Wonder Man. Nathan Fillion appeared on movie posters as Simon Williams in a cut sequence from ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' (2017). James Gunn, the director of that film, enjoyed Wonder Man from the comics, and felt Fillion could portray "a sometimes douchey actor/superhero" that the character is, and even though their appearance was cut, he still considered them canon to the MCU. Lauren Glazier was cast in an undisclosed supporting role in February 2023. The following month, Demetrius Grosse was cast as Simon's brother Eric Williams / Grim Reaper, while Ed Harris was cast as Simon's agent Neal Saroyan. By the end of April, Josh Gad had reportedly joined the cast.

Filming

Principal photography began by April 5, 2023, in Los Angeles, under the working title ''Callback'', with Cretton, Meghie, and Ponsoldt directing the series. Cinematographers include Brett Pawlak, with Armando Salas working on Ponsoldt's episodes. Filming was initially expected to conclude by early August. Soundstage work occurred at Radford Studio Center in Studio City, Los Angeles. Filming was taking place around Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on May 4, 2023, when picketers participating in the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike attempted to shut down production; however, filming for the series was still continuing during the strike at that time and was not expected to be impacted by the strike. It was reported that Marvel Studios was planning to shoot what they could during principal photography and make any necessary writing adjustments during the series' already scheduled reshoots. Picketers stopped production when it returned to film at Radford Studio Center on May 8. Production was shut down by the end of the month, with plans to resume after the WGA and the subsequent SAG-AFTRA strikes concluded.

In October 2023, Joanna Robinson, co-author of the book '' MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios'', reported that Marvel Studios was considering not moving forward with the series, despite already filming material prior to the strikes. Following the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strike in November and Cretton's exit from directing '' Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'' (2026) to focus on his commitments to other MCU projects, including ''Wonder Man'', filming was set to resume around the end of the month after Thanksgiving. Filming resumed in Los Angeles by early January 2024. A rigger died during production work on set at Radford Studio Center on February 6, after falling from the rafters. By then, the majority of filming was completed with pick-ups planned during the following weeks. Filming concluded by April 2024.

Post-production

Winderbaum confirmed that the series was being edited by March 2024. Gina Sansom serves as an editor on the series, after previously working with Cretton on ''American Born Chinese'' (2023).

Release

''Wonder Man'' is expected to be released on Disney+, to consist of 10 episodes. It was initially expected to premiere during the 2023–24 television season, but its release date was unclear by September 2023 given filming had not yet been completed amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. It will be released under the " Marvel Spotlight" banner.

References

External links

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{{Portal bar, Television, United States, Speculative fiction, Comics
2020s American comedy television series
2020s American television miniseries

American English-language television shows
Disney+ original programming
Marvel Cinematic Universe television series
Television series about actors
Television series about show business
Television series by Marvel Studios
Television shows based on works by Jack Kirby
Television shows based on works by Stan Lee
Television shows filmed in Los Angeles
Upcoming American television series
Works by Destin Daniel Cretton