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Wonder Man (miniseries)

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Wonder Man
Genre
Created by
Based on
ShowrunnerAndrew Guest
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
ProducerBonnie Munoz
Production locationLos Angeles, California
Cinematography
  • Brett Pawlak
  • Armando Salas
EditorGina Sansom
Production companies
Original release
NetworkDisney
Related
Marvel Cinematic Universe television series

Wonder Man is an upcoming American television miniseries created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest for the streaming service Disney , based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is intended to be the 17th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, via its Marvel Television label, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. Guest serves as showrunner. The series is also produced by Family Owned and Onyx Collective.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will star as Simon Williams / Wonder Man, alongside Ben Kingsley, Demetrius Grosse, and Ed Harris. In December 2021, Cretton signed an overall deal with Marvel Studios to create television series for Disney , with a comedy series already in development at that point. In June 2022, the series was revealed to be centered on Wonder Man, with Guest involved, and Cretton set to direct episodes of the series. Abdul-Mateen joined the cast that October, with Stella Meghie and James Ponsoldt set to also direct in February 2023. Filming began in early April 2023 in Los Angeles, before production was shut down in late May due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. It resumed by early January 2024 and had concluded by that April. The series was formally revealed in October 2024.

Wonder Man is scheduled to debut on Disney in December 2025 and is expected to consist of eight to ten episodes. It will be part of Phase Six of the MCU, and released under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner.

Cast

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Additionally, Lauren Glazier,[7] Josh Gad,[8][5] Byron Bowers,[9] and Manny McCord have been cast in undisclosed roles.[10]

Episodes

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The series is expected to consist of eight to ten episodes,[11][12] with Destin Daniel Cretton directing the first two.[13] Stella Meghie,[14] James Ponsoldt,[15][16] and Tiffany Johnson also directed episodes of the series.[17]

Production

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Development

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In December 2021, Destin Daniel Cretton signed a multi-year deal with Marvel Studios and Onyx Collective to develop television projects for Disney ,[18] with a comedy series already in development at that point.[18][19] Cretton would produce the series through his newly created production company, Family Owned. This was in conjunction with Cretton returning to write and direct the sequel to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).[18] In June 2022, the series was revealed to be in early development and titled Wonder Man, centered on the character Simon Williams / Wonder Man, with Andrew Guest joining to develop the series along with serving as head writer; he previously served as a consulting producer on Hawkeye (2021). Cretton was also expected to direct episodes of the series,[20] and was set as a director that October,[21] directing the series' first two episodes.[13] Joe Otterson at Variety noted the series had the possibility to be a "Hollywood satire", which he felt made sense given the character's history in the comics as an actor and stuntman;[22] the series was later reported to be a character study of Williams and explore the behind-the-scenes of Hollywood.[23] In February 2023, James Ponsoldt entered negotiations to direct episodes of the series,[15] while Stella Meghie was hired to direct multiple episodes of the series by the end of the month.[14] Ponsoldt and Tiffany Johnson were later set as directors.[16][17]

By October 2023, Marvel Studios shifted their creative philosophy to a more traditional television development process, moving away from head writers and began to hire dedicated showrunners for their series;[23] Guest became showrunner for Wonder Man.[13] Marvel Studios formally announced the series in October 2024 when it released the first footage from it alongside the studios' other 2025 series. Adam Blevins from Collider said Wonder Man was Marvel Studios' "worst-kept secret for quite some time" and was grateful to have official information released for it.[24] The series was originally reported to consist of ten episodes,[12][25] but executive producer Brad Winderbaum believed it was eight episodes long by November 2024.[11] Executive producers of the series include Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz, alongside Guest and Cretton. Onyx Collective also produces the series.[26][additional citation(s) needed][18][27] Bonnie Munoz serves as a producer.[16]

Writing

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Kira Talise, Madeline Walter, Paul Bradford Welsh, Anayat Fakhraie, Zeke Nicholson, Roja Gashtili, and Julia Lerman worked on the series.[28] Winderbaum described the series as a "two-hander" with the characters Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, who are both actors, and called it a "love letter to Hollywood". It features homages to Williams's appearances in the 1980s West Coast Avengers comic books.[11]

Casting

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In August 2022, Ben Kingsley was revealed to be reprising his MCU role of Trevor Slattery in the series, which was said to be a "major role".[2] In October, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was cast as Simon Williams / Wonder Man.[21] Nathan Fillion appeared on movie posters as Simon Williams in a cut sequence from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). James Gunn, the director of that film, enjoyed Wonder Man from the comics, and felt Fillion could portray "a sometimes douchey actor/superhero" that the character is, and even though their appearance was cut, he still considered them canon to the MCU.[29] Lauren Glazier was cast in a supporting role in February 2023.[7] The following month, Demetrius Grosse was cast as Simon's brother Eric Williams / Grim Reaper,[3][4] while Ed Harris was cast as Simon's agent Neal Saroyan.[5][6] By the end of April, Josh Gad had reportedly joined the cast,[8] which was confirmed in August 2024.[5] In July 2024, Byron Bowers was revealed to have been cast in the series.[9] In late October, Manny McCord was revealed to have been cast in the series.[10]

Design

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Cindy Chao and Michele Yu serve as the production designers.[30]

Filming

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Principal photography began by April 5, 2023, in Los Angeles,[31] under the working title Callback,[32] with Cretton,[13] Meghie,[14] Ponsoldt,[16] and Johnson directing the series.[17] Brett Pawlak served as a cinematographer on the series,[33] alongside Armando Salas, who worked on Ponsoldt's episodes.[16] Filming was initially expected to conclude by early August.[33][34] Soundstage work occurred at Radford Studio Center in Studio City, Los Angeles.[34] Filming was taking place around Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on May 4, 2023, when picketers participating in the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike attempted to shut down production;[35] however, filming for the series was still continuing during the strike at that time and was not expected to be impacted by the strike. It was reported that Marvel Studios was planning to shoot what they could during principal photography and make any necessary writing adjustments during the series' already scheduled reshoots.[36] Picketers stopped production when it returned to film at Radford Studio Center on May 8.[34] Production was shut down by the end of the month, with plans to resume after the WGA strike and the subsequent 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike concluded.[37][23]

In October 2023, Joanna Robinson, co-author of the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, reported that Marvel Studios was considering not moving forward with the series, despite already filming material prior to the strikes.[25] Following the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strike in November and Cretton's exit from directing the planned film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to focus on his commitments to other MCU projects, including Wonder Man, filming was set to resume around the end of the month after Thanksgiving.[13] Filming resumed in Los Angeles by early January 2024.[38] J.C. "Spike" Osorio, a lighting technician, died during production work on set at Radford Studio Center on February 6, after falling from the rafters.[39] Disney and Radford Studio Center were respectively fined $36,000 and $45,000 after the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health concluded their investigation into Osorio's death and found that deterioration in the conditions of the catwalk Osorio was standing on led to his death.[40] The majority of filming was completed by early February, with pick-ups planned during the following weeks.[39] Filming concluded by April 2024.[41]

Post-production

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Winderbaum confirmed that the series was being edited by March 2024.[42] Gina Sansom serves as an editor on the series, after previously working with Cretton on American Born Chinese (2023).[43]

Marketing

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The first footage from the series was included in a video that was released by Disney in October 2024, announcing the release schedule for Marvel Television and Marvel Animation projects through the end of 2025.[44]

Release

[edit]

Wonder Man is scheduled to premiere on Disney in December 2025,[44] and is expected to consist of eight to ten episodes.[11][12] It was initially expected to premiere during the 2023–24 television season,[45] but its release date was unclear by September 2023 given filming had not yet been completed amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.[46] The December 2025 release month was announced in October 2024.[44] It will be part of Phase Six of the MCU,[47] and released under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Power, Tom (October 30, 2024). "Marvel reveals release dates and first footage for its 2025 TV line-up – and confirms Deadpool and Wolverine will debut on Disney Plus in November". TechRadar. Archived from the original on October 30, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Otterson, Joe (August 30, 2022). "Ben Kingsley to Reprise Trevor Slattery Role in Marvel Studios' Wonder Man Series at Disney (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Mitovich, Matt Webb (March 29, 2023). "Wonder Man: Demetrius Grosse Lands Key Role in New Marvel Series". TVLine. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Perine, Aaron (July 3, 2024). "Wonder Man Star Teases Major Marvel Villain Role". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Vary, Adam B. (August 19, 2024). "Every Marvel Studios Movie and Disney Project in 2024 and Beyond". Variety. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Anderson, Jenna (March 31, 2023). "Marvel's Wonder Man Series Reportedly Adds Westworld Star Ed Harris". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
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