Marvel Studios offered a glimmer of hope for Wonder Man's MCU future. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Wonder Man will debut in the MCU's second-ever Spotlight project, distancing itself from the baggage of the franchise's 18-year history in favor of a more standalone story that happens to bring back Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery from Iron Man 3. Many are eager to know what comes next for Simon Williams amid fears he will face a long absence after his debut, akin to Oscar Isaac's Moon Knight, Tatiana Maslany's She-Hulk, and Simu Liu's Shang-Chi.
Marvel Television's official Wonder Man production notes offered clarity on Simon Williams' future after his "no-homework show." The studio left its options open, stating that "anything’s on the table in terms of greater connectivity down the road," but Wonder Man itself requires no previous MCU viewing.
Showrunner Andrew Guest touched on the matter in an interview with ComicBook, noting the studio's vision to "let each project stand alone" so that, if the audience responds, it can "figure out how to keep using them:"
“I think Marvel’s approach to this is let each project stand on its own, and if an audience connects with it and if they connect with the character, then they can figure out how to keep using them."
Guest cited Ben Kingsley's journey as Trevor Slattery as the perfect example of that strategy before sharing his hopes that Williams similarly "can continue to live on" in future projects:
"Trevor Slattery, maybe you thought he would be a one-and-done after 'Iron Man 3,' but Destin (Daniel Cretton) was able to bring him into 'Shang-Chi' and find a whole other side of him. I was so thrilled to get to use that same character again, so hopefully, people fall in love with Simon Williams, and he can continue to live on.”
Marvel may not have any crossover plans on the horizon for Wonder Man just yet, but there is some hope for his Disney+ series' future. Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum confirmed that Wonder Man Season 2 could be "on the table" depending on viewership amid a push to develop shows "that could last for multiple seasons," like Daredevil: Born Again and X-Men '97.
Only time will tell whether Wonder Man can attract the audience needed for a rare MCU renewal, given its lesser-known starring hero and smaller-scale concept. But there may be cause for optimism on that front after Wonder Man became the second-highest-rated live-action MCU series with a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score.
What Comes Next for Wonder Man After His Disney+ Debut?
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Simon Williams may already have four major powers in his Disney+ series, but that doesn't make him a full-blown superhero. Instead, unless Wonder Man is hiding some major twists, he currently just appears to be a Hollywood actor who is playing the in-universe fictional hero, Wonder Man.
Marvel Studios will undoubtedly face some hurdles before Williams could conceivably join the Avengers or team up with any fellow heroes, depending, of course, on how Wonder Man concludes. Those challenges could be addressed in a potential second season, evolving from an actor-on-actor adventure to a superhero origin story, hopefully while maintaining the series' spirit.
Fans may just be preparing to meet Williams now, but, for Abdul-Mateen II, his MCU tenure has been on hiatus for some time. The actor shot Wonder Man in Los Angeles from March 2023 to April 2024, with a pause in the middle due to the Hollywood strikes, meaning he wrapped his Disney+ show almost two years ago.
For now, Wonder Man viewers probably shouldn't expect to see any Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars teases in the Disney+ series, nor does it seem likely he will join Earth's Mightiest Heroes anytime soon. Unless something changes, he may not be seen again until Wonder Man Season 2, if it gets renewed at all.
One pitch has the Hollywood-based Wonder Man crossing paths with other heroes, such as She-Hulk, Shang-Chi, Ant-Man, and War Machine, to form the West Coast Avengers, an alternate line-up for the A-list team located in Los Angeles.
