One of the year’s most unexpectedly brilliant shows has just been renewed – something viewers are calling a “miracle”.
In January, Disney+ released Marvel series Wonder Man, a comedy show following a struggling actor (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his friendship with British thespian Trevor “The Mandarin” Slattery, the Iron Man 3 character played by Ben Kingsley.
The satirical series felt unlike anything Marvel had released in years and was acclaimed by viewers. However, the ratings were lower than MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) shows tend to receive.
Wonder Man amassed streams of 549.6 million minutes in its first 10 days of release, which fell far short of the 731 million-minute streams amassed by Echo in just six days.
However, Disney+ has confirmed a second season will happen, with both Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley set to return. Fans are shocked by the news as MCU shows very rarely get commissioned for follow-ups. To date, only Loki and Daredevil: Born Again have received second seasons, with WandaVision, Moon Knight and Ms Marvel among the one-season offerings.
“This is genuinely kind of a miracle given its viewership numbers??? Pretty dang cool, great news,” one fan wrote on X/Twitter, with another adding: “I’m shocked Marvel actually cared about Wonder Man.” An additional fan wrote: “WOW! This one surprised me. Looking forward to it.”
Wonder Man, which is being lobbied for Emmys and Golden Globes, is the 17th TV series released as part of the MCU since 2019’s WandaVision, and is based on the Marvel Comics character first introduced in 1964.
Abdul-Mateen II plays the lead character of Simon Williams, an anxiety-ridden jobbing actor desperate to be revered, who auditions for the lead role in the remake of the beloved superhero film Wonder Man.
He soon meets Kingsley’s Slattery, who may or may not have been recruited by the DODC (Department of Damage Control) to unearth a dangerous secret harboured by Simon. But before too long, the pair strike up an unlikely friendship.
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Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton and sitcom writer Andrew Guest, whose previous credits include 30 Rock, Community and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, will be behind the new episodes.
Abdul-Mateen II is best known for roles as Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections (2021), Black Manta in the Aquaman franchise (2018-23), and he received acclaim in 2019 for his role in Damon Lindelof’s HBO series Watchmen (2019).
Speaking about showing his vulnerable side in Wonder Man, Mateen II told Refinery29: “It was really gratifying, and sometimes scary at the same time, to show that vulnerability, to show that anxiety, to show what it looks like to not be sure of myself at all but still have to proceed.”
The actor will next play CIA officer-turned-bodyguard Creasy in a TV remake of 2004 action film Man on Fire, which starred Denzel Washington. Wonder Man is available to stream now.