Hi, I’m Josh. I wrote this and don’t use AI.
I have watched 99% of the Marvel live action TV shows on Disney+ (sorry Ironheart and Punisher…I’ll get to you someday) and like so many of my fellow fans, I haven’t loved some of the stuff we’ve been getting in recent years.
Enter Wonder Man, a show that was dropped in full in January which is never a good sign when it comes to streamers other than Netflix. Disney doesn’t do this with their heavy hitters for the Marvel and Star Wars brands that often (Echo got branded with the scarlet letter upon its release, for example).
It’s a subliminal message to the audience that they don’t have a lot of faith so it’s up to the viewer if they want to take a chance. Enjoy or don’t. Whatever.
But I enjoyed Wonder Man A LOT so let’s get into the tale of the digital tape and answer the question you have…
Should You Watch Wonder Man (Disney+)?
How many seasons?
One and it’s unclear if a second one is coming.
How many episodes?
8
What type of show is it?
Based in the MCU, it’s a comic book show.
What year(s)?
2026
Where to currently find it (as of February 2026)
Disney+ (all levels)
Who is it for?
Fans of the comic book genre, but it’s not just a comic book show.
What’s the commit level (without ads)?
These episodes are gloriously short at a total of 267 minutes (4.5 hours) and if you skip the credits, you save 40 minutes (!) as they run just over five minutes per. There’s no post-credits scenes so fuhgeddaboudit. (I don’t have any idea why I used that, either.)
Is there a bailout episode?
I’d give this at least two episodes and no more than four. I mean, if you don’t like ‘Doorman,’ I don’t know what to tell you.
Any interesting background in the show’s creation?
This has been in development since 2021 when the idea about a Trevor Slattery project (Ben Kingsley/Mandarin in Iron Man 3) was floated about. At one point, it was originally supposed to be ten episodes but got cut down to eight which I’m all for.
The show was being filmed/worked on shortly ahead of the spring 2023 writers strike. At one point after the strike was done, Wonder Man was being considered as a tax write-off, meaning it would never see the light of day but Marvel executives fought for it and voila.
What’s the reaction been?
As of the time I am writing this, the Metacritic score is a 74 (generally favorable) with Rotten Tomatoes at a great 89% from both critics and fans. Everyone seems so surprised it’s good which might tell you something about the streak Marvel/Disney+ was on going into it, and the way it was dropped on the service.
Are there actors the average TV watcher would recognize?
Ben Kingsley, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Arian Moayed
What’s the main plot in a sentence?
An actor finally gets the opportunity at the role of a lifetime and makes a great friend in the process, but nothing is quite as it seems…for anyone.
What’s the rewatchability factor?
Low
If you like these shows, you’ll like this one:
The Studio, WandaVision, Better Things
Is this a first or second screen show?
First screen. I did a bit of both and realized I enjoyed it so much more putting down the laptop.
Should You Watch Wonder Man?
Yes, you should.
Look, I understand comic book projects aren’t as cool as they used to be post Avengers: Endgame but Wonder Man is to Marvel TV what Andor is to Star Wars TV. It’s different, full of fun characters, and again, different. This is what Marvel needed and it’s great they rolled the dice and didn’t exile this to the tax-exempt dumpster.
And, honestly, who doesn’t love a good bromance like we get with Kingsley and Abdul-Maheen II?
Will Wonder Man get a sequel season? This may sound obvious, but it’s all in the word of mouth and how that could improve the views on s1. I’d love to see it happen, but think of how many fun TV shows just disappear because they financially weren’t worth bringing back. I won’t get my hopes up, but you never know.
Wonder Man is worth a second go-round, though. I just hope this compels you to watch it so it happens.
2 Comments