Wonder Man Will Bring Back A Forgotten MCU Villain
Trevor Slattery will return.
Marvel’s Iron Man trilogy remains one of the franchise’s best, give or take a few misguided narrative choices, like the inclusion (and eventual subversion) of the villainous Mandarin in Iron Man 3. In the comics, the Mandarin was an outdated caricature, while the 2013 film attempted to comment on his racist origins, tapping renowned actor Ben Kingsley to deliver a defanged, semi-self-aware version. The twist is that he’s really a struggling actor named Trevor serving as a front for Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) true enemy, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce).
It was a strange fake-out that didn’t exactly smooth over the character’s offensive past, and years later, Marvel made another effort. In 2021, Trevor returned in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as a jester of sorts to the “real” Mandarin, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung). There, the character finally clicked, and now the MCU seems keen to explore Trevor further.
Phase Six of the MCU has ended with Ironheart, and Marvel is rolling out Phase Seven with a handful of new shows. Black Panther spin-off Eyes of Wakanda might be the most notable so far, but the MCU is also expanding its West Coast roster with Wonder Man. Like Ironheart, the show was long stuck in production purgatory — but this December, Yahya Abdul Mateen II enters the Marvel Universe... with Trevor Slattery, of all people, as his guide.
Disney unveiled a new look at Wonder Man in its latest “Coming Soon” teaser. Mateen stars as Simon Williams, a struggling actor who somehow gains a host of superhuman powers, and the series will follow Simon as he auditions for a role in Wonder Man, a show-within-the-show. Trevor, meanwhile, seems to be Simon’s moral support, advising him on balancing his day job with his burgeoning life as a superhero. His role in Wonder Man makes sense, as Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is also helming the new series.
Ironically, Trevor might be Simon’s perfect guide. He straddles the world of show business and superheroes, and after brushes with Iron Man, Wenwu, and Shang-Chi, he definitely knows a thing or two about using powers responsibly. There’s no telling what trouble Simon will actually get into during the series — his powers seem too unwieldy to control in the teaser — but at least he won’t be dealing with it all alone.
Wonder Man won’t hit Disney+ until December, so a lot of the series is still under wraps, but this latest tease goes a long way in stoking interest. Wonder Man isn’t exactly a household name, nor do his powers set him apart from the average MCU character. But a comedic twist and the return of a strange supporting player could be a sign of good things to come.
