Marvel's Wonder Man Trailer Unveils The MCU's Most Self-Referential Series Ever

The Marvel studio is aware that viewers could be experiencing some superhero exhaustion, so they've opted to include that very concept into their next superhero show.

Indeed, the first preview for Wonder Man has arrived, and it pledges a self-referential angle on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The trailer, which debuted on Oct. 10, also quietly pushed the Wonder Man release date back from its initial end of 2025 window into January 2026.

Why one more superhero film? Everyone is weary of superheroes. Why go see them in the theater? Wonder Man spoke to me on a profound level. There is an chance to shock audiences. To reimagine the whole genre of storytelling.

The interviewer replies: "Have you given any thought about casting?"

The preview then cuts to series star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who's watching the conversation on his mobile device, and the trailer ends.

Photo: Marvel

What We Know About Wonder Man

We already knew that Wonder Man would be a meta take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series stars Abdul-Mateen II as the character Simon Williams, a film star who becomes a super-powered being (Wonder Man).

The supporting cast includes Ben Kingsley returning as Iron Man 3's Trevor Slattery, Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams (aka Grim Reaper), Ed Harris as Simon's manager Neal Saroyan, and Arian Moayed returning as DODC officer P. Cleary.

Marvel's Meta-Humor Approach

We don't know much else about the storyline of Wonder Man, but it's clear that the studio plans to laugh at its own tropes.

In the wake of Deadpool & Wolverine, it appears like the production company is fully committed on self-referential comedy. Will that work without the celebrity appeal of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman? We'll have to wait and see.