Review: Wonder Man 9/10

Wonder Man is less interested in being a superhero show than it is in exploring what it feels like to want recognition and never feel secure in it. That focus gives the series a clear identity within the MCU and allows it to tell a more intimate story than most Marvel projects attempt.

From the beginning, the show knows what it wants to be. It treats superpowers as something disruptive rather than aspirational, framing them as another factor that complicates Simon Williams’ already fragile sense of self. Instead of building toward spectacle or franchise expansion, the series stays focused on anxiety, visibility, and the pressure of being seen in a system that constantly replaces people. That commitment gives the show a cohesion many MCU series struggle to maintain.

Simon is intentionally difficult, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s performance is a major reason the show works as well as it does. His anxiety feels invasive and unfiltered, which can be uncomfortable to watch, but it also feels honest. The show does not rush to soften him or make him more palatable, and that restraint pays off. Simon’s emotional state is not a hurdle to get past. It is the point of the story.

The series gains even more clarity through Trevor Slattery. Rather than functioning as simple comic relief, Trevor understands identity as something you shape in order to survive. His scenes with Simon sharpen the show’s ideas about performance and visibility, and their dynamic gives the series much of its emotional grounding. Watching Simon confront someone who has already learned how to exist within the system he fears adds depth without heavy exposition.

One of the season’s most talked about episodes, centered on Demar Doorman Davis, highlights what Wonder Man does especially well. While the episode does not advance the plot, it externalizes the show’s core fear by showing what it looks like to live close to success without ever being chosen. It also helps explain why powered individuals remain largely absent from Hollywood and why Simon’s anxiety around visibility feels so acute. As thematic storytelling, it is one of the season’s strongest moments.

The show’s main weakness is not its ideas, but its balance. Some emotionally important parts of Simon’s backstory, particularly surrounding his father, could have used more space. Still, these moments do not undermine the series as a whole.

For me, Wonder Man succeeds because it trusts its audience to sit with discomfort and subtext. It feels focused, intentional, and emotionally grounded. In a franchise built on momentum, that choice feels confident. It is a thoughtful, character-driven entry that earns its impact, and for that, it lands as a strong 9 out of 10.