Marvel’s WONDER MAN Trailer Hints at a Meta MCU Hero

Marvel Studios has released the first teaser for their upcoming series Wonder Man, which will now premiere in January 2026, pushed a few weeks from its original December 2025 date. The teaser confirms the meta-nature of the new Disney+ series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. From what we can gather from the teaser, “Wonder Man” was a superhero movie from the 1970s, now rebooted in the modern day by an A-list director. Simon Williams is an actor looking to play the character in the newly reimagined movie. You can watch the trailer from Marvel Studios right here:

The trailer opens with the reclusive foreign director Von Kovak making his first franchise movie, played by Superman’s Zlatko Burić. In a very meta commentary on the state of superhero fatigue, he says “Why make one more superhero story? Everyone is tired of superheroes.” But he says the franchise connected to him deeply. The teaser is full of Easter eggs to Marvel Comics. It seems an actor named Brent Willard, who looks very David Hasselhoff-esque, portrayed Wonder Man on screen. The costumes he wears look just like his comic book outfits from the ’80s West Coast Avengers series, and his ’90s black and red look. In old footage, we see movie Wonder Man fighting cheesy aliens at Vasquez Rocks. That’s the real-world location in California where Star Trek filmed Captain Kirk fighting the Gorn.

(Left) (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams (Right) Wonder Man the character in the MCU
Marvel Studios

It seems that Marvel Studios will split the difference between the different versions of comics Wonder Man. His adventuring superhero aspect, powered by ionic energy, will likely stay in “the movie within the show” part of things. Meanwhile, Simon Williams, Hollywood actor, that is also a big part of Wonder Man lore. And it seems that part will be embodied by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. This is looking to be the most meta Marvel project to date. And this new trailer just made us more excited for its debut.

Wonder Man will premiere on Disney+ January 27, 2026.