Marvel Studios is introducing its own Tom Cruise, sort of. Though Cruise never appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness despite persistent rumors, his status as one of Hollywood's biggest action stars is undeniable. Now, Marvel is comparing its upcoming Disney+ lead to Cruise, signaling the kind of blockbuster star power they want the new character to embody.
In the Winter 2025 issue of Disney's D23 Magazine, obtained by The Direct, Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest shared how the character of Simon Williams compares to Tom Cruise. When talking about the character from the comics, Guest called Wonder Man a "Tom Cruise type," performing stunts and "also a superperson on the side:"
"He was this Tom Cruise type who did his own stunts and was also a superperson on the side."
Marvel Studios' next Disney+ series,Wonder Man, is a Hollywood-set superhero satire that follows struggling actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) as he competes for the lead role in a remake of a movie about himself, alongside the ever-chaotic Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley). Led by Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley (joined by Josh Gad), the show is set to blend classic MCU elements with a meta, behind-the-scenes look at fame and stardom, something real-life actor Tom Cruise is familiar with.
Wonder Man, indeed, does have superpowers in the upcoming MCU iteration, giving Williams a rare dual identity as both a rising Hollywood actor and an unexpectedly formidable hero. His confirmed abilities, super strength, super speed, and explosive ionic energy, create a striking contrast with his personal ambition to focus on acting rather than crime-fighting.
Part of the D23 Magazine article explained how Marvel was considering a project centered on Trevor Slattery, particularly after Destin Daniel Cretton collaborated with Kingsley on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This went down the rabbit hole of bringing Hollywood to the MCU, which brought the creatives to Wonder Man, a character known for Tinseltown.
According to Guest, Marvel at a certain point thought, "What if [both concepts] are the same show?" It was time for the MCU to "try new worlds" and as Guest puts it, "They've been to a lot of places, including space. But they've never done Hollywood:"
"At a certain point, Marvel thought, 'What if [both concepts] are the same show?' Marvel was in a place where they were willing to try new worlds they hadn't explored. They've been to a lot of places, including space. But they've never done Hollywood."
This had become obvious to fans, with Wonder Man fully embracing its "two-hander" format, giving equal weight to Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery as dual leads. A two-hander focuses on the dynamic between two central characters whose contrasting personalities and shared goals drive the narrative, as previously seen on Disney+ with WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Hawkeye.
How Super Will Wonder Man Be?
While the Tom Cruise comparison is fun marketing shorthand, there is no Cruise cameo here (following his success over Marvel's summer flop), just a character inspired by that superhuman stardom.
The show's meta premise could be a risky experiment, leaning heavily on inside-baseball humor about auditions, fame, and the industry machine. This type of formula worked well for Seth Rogen's The Studio at Apple TV earlier this year.
The shorter episode lengths and full-season binge release suggest a fast-paced, comedy-forward series that wants to entertain without overstaying its welcome.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley's odd-couple pairing should anchor the chaos with both heart and absurdity. If Marvel sticks the landing, this could be a home run. However, even if it's a swing and a miss, the studio isn't putting as much weight on its television offerings as it was from 2021 to 2023.
