Marvel Studios confirmed that Wonder Man has three exciting powers in the MCU, and they are quite useful in upcoming high-stakes battles. The MCU's first Disney+ show in 2026 will introduce Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) into the world, and diehard fans know that he is one of Marvel's strongest heroes. While marketing for Wonder Man primarily focused on the show's Hollywood setting and Simon's background as an actor trying to make it big, the lesser-known Marvel hero has incredible powers waiting to be unleashed in live-action.
The latest teaser only showed a brief glimpse of Simon's powers, with footage of him showing that he is capable of creating explosions. And now, the full extent of his abilities has been confirmed in a recent interview.
In the Winter 2025 issue of Disney’s D23 Magazine obtained by The Direct, Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest and Marvel Studios Director of Production and Development Brian Gay talked about Simon Williams' powers.
Andrew Guest described Wonder Man as "incredibly powerful" before enumerating his three major powers, namely super speed, super strength, and the ability to create massive explosions:
"He is incredibly powerful in a way that even he is not fully aware. But he doesn't care. Simon wants to be Daniel Day-Lewis."
Brian Gay admitted that Simon "doesn't even know the extent of what his powers are," because his main goal is "to be an actor:"
"He doesn't even know the extent of what his powers are. Simon has these superpowers and feels a responsibility to help, but his main goal is to be an actor. And that's complicated by the fact that he lives in a world where superheroes exist and aliens could come down from the sky at any moment."
These comments about Wonder Man essentially capture the unique core conflict of the upcoming Disney+ series since Simon is fighting an inner battle where he needs to choose between being a hero and pursuing his biggest dream.
The fact that Simon is not aware of the full extent of his powers could mean that part of his journey in Wonder Man could revolve around him trying to control his powers amid the pressure of delivering success within the confines of Hollywood. With no experienced MCU hero to help him (like She-Hulk), it could get tricky, especially with the Department of Damage Control looming in the shadows.
Created by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton, Wonder Man follows the story of Hollywood actor and stuntman Simon Williams, whose biggest dream is to become an actor (not a superhero). The series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the titular role alongside the return of Sir Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Demetrius Grosse, and Arian Moayed. Wonder Man is set to premiere on Disney+ on January 27, 2026.
Wonder Man's 3 Major Powers, Explained
Super Strength
The confirmation that Simon Williams has super strength isn't surprising, considering his track record in the pages of Marvel Comics.
Given that the MCU's live-action version of the hero has the same powers, it's reasonable to assume that he can trade blows with some of Earth's Mightiest Heroes like Hulk and Thor. His super strength could also hint that he can go toe to toe with Bob (aka Sentry).
Super Speed
Simon Williams' super speed means that he can move and react quickly, and this can be a valuable ability to use when evading the agents of the Department of Damage Control.
Given that the MCU has its own shortage of speedsters (especially after the death of Quicksilver and Makkari's absence from Earth following Eternals' ending), having Wonder Man utilize his super speed in battles could be a worthy addition in future battles of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Explosions
Perhaps one of, if not the most unique ability of Simon Williams is to create massive explosions using his ionic energy manipulation. This is a unique power because it is unstable and could prove to be dangerous if not controlled.
Part of Wonder Man's core story may be for Simon to learn to control his explosive powers. By allowing himself to embrace his abilities, creating explosions could be his go-to move in one of the show's climactic battles to prove that he has a firm grasp of his powers.
