According to one of its lead stars, Marvel Studios' first Disney+ series, set for 2026, is secretly a villain origin story. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is set to introduce a new superhero in 2026 in the form of Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) in his own series titled Wonder Man. As one of Marvel's lesser-known heroes, the upcoming Disney+ series is banking on its Hollywood-infused story and returning MCU stars, including Sir Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery, whose comeback makes sense given his acting history. However, the fact that Slattery started as a villain in Iron Man 3 makes his presence all the more intriguing, even though Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings sort of redeemed him.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Sir Ben Kingsley described Wonder Man as Trevor Slattery's "real biography," indicating that the upcoming MCU series is actually the villain's origin story because it will also feature the character's time "before he got the role of Mandarin" as well as his journey after that:
“During Shang-Chi, Kevin Feige and [director] Destin [Daniel Cretton] suggested to me the possibility of Trevor reappearing for the fourth time in a TV series. We didn’t even know the title, and I said, ‘I’d be thrilled.’ I love revisiting Trevor — there’s so many layers to him. [This] series does see Trevor before he got the role of Mandarin, and then of course after, so it’s a real biography — it’s a biopic of Trevor in four episodes.”
Another interesting note from Kingsley's statement about the show being a biopic of Trevor Slattery in four episodes, leading to speculation about whether he is only in those specified number of episodes or if he is the primary focus for those installments. For reference, Wonder Man is confirmed to have a historic eight-episode binge release on Disney+.
Whatever the case, it is interesting that Wonder Man spends a significant portion of its runtime telling the origin story of Trevor Slattery, and it will finally provide an answer on how he adopted his villainous arc as the Mandarin in the first place (aside from his obvious need for money).
Interestingly, in the same interview, Kingsley teased that Trevor could be up to no good in Wonder Man, with the actor teasing that his character will be "faced with a terrible dilemma:"
"[Trevor will be] faced with a terrible dilemma: he can reach his ambition, but it's at a terrible cost. He has a choice to make — it's fascinating."
More so, the actor also shared that Trevor sees Simon Williams as "someone he can absolutely exploit for his own ends:"
"[Trevor] sees in Simon a friend, a colleague, but he also sees Simon as someone he can absolutely exploit for his own ends. It's quite a classic, basic human condition story. You are associated with somebody, and you have an affinity with that person, but at the same time, you know that you're going to have to exploit that person to get to where you need to be."
It will be interesting to see how Trevor's arc would be unraveled in Wonder Man. Given that Shang-Chi has already established that there is still some good within Trevor, the push and pull between hero and villainy would make the character a fascinating figure to watch, which could also elevate Wonder Man.
Created by Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton, Wonder Man follows the story of aspiring actor Simon Williams, who harbors big Hollywood dreams but also has a secret due to the existence of his mysterious powers. The series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the titular role, with Sir Ben Kingsley, Demetrius Grosse, and Arian Moayed joining him. The series will premiere on Disney+ on January 27, 2026.
Will Wonder Man’s Focus on Trevor Hurt the Series?
Marvel Studios is already pulling out all the stops in terms of promoting Wonder Man, and a common denominator has been the inclusion of Trevor Slattery in most, if not all, of its marketing materials. Aside from the popularity of Sir Ben Kingsley, it makes sense for Marvel to rely on Trevor to build hype for the series, mainly due to fans' familiarity with the character and the fact that it aligns with the show's satirical approach.
The revelation that Wonder Man will explore Trevor's origin story adds a new layer of intrigue to the series, convincing fans to tune in and witness how he was lured into the Mandarin role in Iron Man 3.
However, there is a chance that it could completely undermine the show's potential as a superhero series, as it could divert its focus away from Simon Williams, especially after the confirmation that Trevor will be the primary focus in four episodes (which is half of its total episode count).
The only way for this to work is for Wonder Man to find the right balance in telling the stories of both Trevor and Simon and make them interconnect seamlessly, leading to a grand payoff in the end.
