Wonder Man: everything we know so far about the next Marvel TV show on Disney+ (release date, trailer, cast, plot)

Wonder Man will aim to get 2026 off to a good start for Marvel. The forthcoming series, which was supposed to arrive this December, is now set to premiere in January 2026, so we've got to wait a bit longer to stream what's being billed as the most metatextual Marvel project ever made.

Before the Disney+ TV Original is released, you'll want to learn more about it. Luckily for you, this article contains all you need to know about the live-action show, including its official launch date, first trailer, confirmed cast, and plot details.

Here, then, is your complete guide to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) newest superhero.

Wonder Man release date

As I mentioned above, Wonder Man was originally due out in December. Marvel confirmed as much when it announced its full 2025 Disney+ TV line-up in November 2024.

However, at New York Comic-Con (NYCC) 2025, Marvel revealed the series' release had been pushed into next year. Now, Wonder Man is slated to arrive on January 27, 2026 in North and South America, and January 28, 2026 everywhere else.

Per The Direct, which was in attendance at Marvel's NYCC 2025 panel all eight episodes will also drop on launch day. Like Echo, then, you'll want to watch it all as soon as possible to avoid spoilers online.

Wonder Man trailer

Marvel Television’s Wonder Man | Official Trailer | Disney+ - YouTube

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Like its release date, Wonder Man's first trailer was unwrapped at NYCC 2025. And, if there was any doubt that this Marvel Phase 6 TV show would be the most self-aware MCU project to date, its teaser laid it out in full.

From taking an amusing stab at real-world comic book movie fatigue and the entertainment industry at large, to Simon Williams, aka the show's main character, auditioning for a remake of a classic superhero film, whisper it quietly, but Marvel Studios' next TV production looks like it could be something special.

Wonder Man cast: confirmed and rumored

Possible spoilers follow for Wonder Man.

Here's the confirmed cast for Wonder Man thus far:

• Yahha Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams/Wonder Man
• Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery
• Arian Moayed as Agent P. Cleary
• Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak
• X Mayo as TBC
• Olivia Thrilby as TBC
• Byron Bowers as TBC
• Joe Pantoliano as TBC

Arguably best known for appearing in Warner Bros' Aquaman movie adaptations as David Kane/Black Manta, Abdul-Mateen II becomes the latest actor to appear in DC and Marvel's cinematic franchises.

Hired to play Wonder Man's lead character in late 2022, Abdul-Mateen II will portray Simon Williams, an aspiring actor/stuntman who auditions for the lead role in a superhero movie remake. It's unclear if the MCU's take on Williams knows that he actually possesses superpowers when the series begins, or if he'll get them as part of its plot.

Meanwhile, British icon Ben Kingsley (The Thursday Murder Club, Gandhi) will reprise his role as Trevor Slattery, an amateur actor who appeared in Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi. Based on the first trailer, Slattery will become Williams' mentor – a prospect that'll flavor Wonder Man with some odd couple sensibilities.

Moayed will also make his next MCU appearance as Department of Damage Control (DoDC) Agent Cleary in Wonder Man. He briefly showed up in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Ms Marvel. Burić will join Abdul-Mateen II on the 'appeared in Marvel and DC movies' list, too, with the Croatian-Danish star set to play the director of the in-universe superhero movie remake. Audiences may recognize Burić as the Boravian president from 2025's Superman film.

Rounding out the show's confirmed cast are X Mayo, Thrilby, Bowers and Pantoliano. The first three were confirmed in a Disney press release, while Pantoliano has let slip (per Entertainment Weekly (EW)) that he's part of proceedings.

Other actors are also rumored to be involved. Per TVLine and comicbook.com, Demetrius Grosse (Justified, Banshee) will portray Simon's brother Eric, who could be the main villain of the piece.

Lastly, Deadline has also claimed Ed Harris (Apollo 13, The Truman Show) will portray Neal Sorayan, aka Simon's agent.

Wonder Man story synopsis and speculation

Possible spoilers follow for Wonder Man.

Here's the official logline for Wonder Man: "Aspiring Hollywood actor Simon Williams is struggling to get his career off the ground. During a chance meeting with Trevor Slattery, an actor whose biggest roles may be well behind him, Simon learns legendary director Von Kovak is remaking the superhero film Wonder Man.

"These two actors at opposite ends of their careers doggedly pursue life-changing roles in this film as audiences get a peek behind the curtain of the entertainment industry. "

More details have been revealed by the press and those closest to the series' production over the last three years, too.

In June 2022, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) suggested the series will adapt a specific part of the character's comic book backstory. In the source material, Simon Williams takes on a day job as an actor/stuntman, so this live-action show is clearly taking inspiration from that aspect of his literary history.

That doesn't mean we won't learn about Williams' superpowered backstory in Wonder Man. However, it may differ somewhat from his comic book counterpart's origins. That's because Williams was originally created as a foe of the Avengers before becoming a hero in his own right. The character's TV adaptation would have to do a lot of heavy lifting from a storytelling perspective if it didn't alter this part of his backstory, so I predict Wonder Man will change how Williams gets his superpowers.

Wonder Man could have ties to previous Marvel shows, too.

Given it'll be based in the MCU's version of Hollywood and the wider Los Angeles area, I wouldn't be surprised if it references She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. That legal comedy was also set in LA, so She-Hulk could be mentioned in some capacity. Is it a stretch to suggest K.E.V.I.N., the artificial intelligence – and caricature of Marvel President Kevin Feige – that claims to be in charge of the MCU, will be involved in the in-universe movie that Williams is auditioning for?

Without getting into the spoiler-based weeds of his literary ties to Vision and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Williams' MCU debut could also include references to WandaVision and its pseudo-sequel Agatha All Along, aka two of the best Disney+ shows. It's possible Wonder Man may set up events to come in Vision Quest, which is also expected to arrive on Disney+ in 2026, but more on that series later.

As for the series' leaning into the metatextual and comparisons to Apple TV's satirical comedy The Studio, which similarly pokes fun at the Hollywood machine, Marvel's Head of TV, Streaming and Animation Brad Winderbaum told EW: "It's one of my favorite things I've ever been a part of at the studio.

"[Wonder Man] is very different than The Studio, actually. It's different tonally. It's very sincere and it's very focused on acting as a craft. The Studio is really more about the big Hollywood system and the machine and the craziness that ensues. This is really a very intimate portrait of one actor trying to live his dreams while the world and the need to make money intervenes."

The dynamic between Williams and Slattery will also be at the forefront of the show, Winderbaum said. "There's a very interesting three-act structure for his [Kingsley's character as well," Winderbaum told EW. "I don't wanna spoil anything, but it's very sincere. It's very earnest. It's not cynical.

"They [Slattery and Williams] connect on their love of acting. Other than that, they're wildly different people, but because they have this very strong love of this craft, they have this really white-hot affinity for one another right away". Expect a buddy cop-cum-sitcom-style TV project when Wonder Man arrives, then.

Will there be more seasons of Wonder Man?

That's unclear. Right now, it's billed as a limited series, which is industry speak for a show that'll only last for one season.

Speaking at Disney Upfront 2025 (as reported by THR), Winderbaum highlighted the fact that not every Marvel TV show will get another season. Winderbaum doubled-down on that response in conversation with EW at NYCC 2025, before adding: "Season 2 could be on the table if people watch. If it's the only Wonder Man story, it really stands on its own as a beautiful piece. But, I anticipate that when people get to the end of this story, they're gonna want more. And I hope that's what happens."

Even if it's a one-and-done scenario, the series' potential impact on the MCU could be significant.

For one, it might establish the plot of Vision Quest, but that's dependent on whether Wonder Man references the character's ties to Vision in the comics.

If it does, both series could end up setting the scene for the arrival of the West Coast Avengers. An offshoot of Earth's Mightiest Heroes that operates out of California, this group has counted Williams, Scarlet Witch, and Vision among its ensemble since its comic book debut in September 1984. In short: Wonder Man could sow the seeds for Vision Quest, but a new Avengers team, too.

For more Marvel coverage, read our guides on Daredevil: Born Again season 2, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and how to watch the Marvel movies in order.