9/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars

Once upon a time, The Marvel Cinematic Universe had to sing for its supper. Kevin Feige built his falling entertainment empire through sincere character work over a sprawling series. General audiences didn’t know Iron Man or the Guardians of the Galaxy from Adam, but vibrant screenwriting and performances conquer all. That art was lost somewhere along the way. Passion turned into obligation. Since Endgame, we’ve certainly met the likes of Shang-Chi, She-Hulk, The Eternals and Moon Knight but we haven’t fallen in love with them. With the exception of Ms Marvel, they’re the equivalent of the interlopers at a house party one makes boring conversation with while waiting for their friends to get there. Thankfully, Wonder Man has arrived. This mystifying brainchild of Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12, Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: Brand New Day) and Andrew Guest (30 Rock, Brooklyn 99) is nothing short of a unicorn in the current MCU canon. It is barely a superhero story at all. This is an intimate and often hilarious character piece that exists on the fringes of a shared comic book universe. It doubles as a passionate love letter to the craft of acting that only grows more tender as our unlikely central friendship blossoms.

Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a struggling actor who is desperate for a big break. When we meet him, he is fired from a day player gig on American Horror Story due to his persnickety attitude. He’s a toxic overthinker who has intense feelings and script notes even for small parts. Shortly after he comes across Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), the alcoholic British thespian who was sucked into playing the terrorist figurehead “Mandarin” in Iron Man 3. Needless to say, he’s struggled to rehabilitate his image since. The duo strikes up a friendship that is only bolstered when they learn of an upcoming remake of the Flash Gordon esque 80s superhero flick Wonder Man that will be directed by award winner Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić). Wonder Man inspired young Simon to take up acting when his late father took him to see it at The Eagle theater (now Vidiots) and he feels that he is destined to carry on the role. Trevor endeavors to help him. However, both are harboring secrets. Simon can create destructive pulses of energy when he gets agitated, a problem in a town that has banned superpowered actors for insurance reasons. Trevor has made a deal with the government Damage Control agency for his freedom. They have Simon on their radar and have tasked Trevor with uncovering definitive proof of his abilities.

Over the course of eight briskly paced half hour episodes we watch as a rich bond between Simon and Trevor grows. Their misadventures are low stakes but mean everything to them. A visit to Trevor’s former rival Joe Pantoliano’s house to film a long agonized over self tape. An awkward stop at a Williams family birthday party. A confrontation with an all too curious stringer who gets the wrong footage at the wrong time. Trevor sees his younger self in Simon. The ambition. The drive. The insufferable attitude. They’re two outcasts who latch onto one another because they can finally have the all consuming conversations about scene work, deep breathing and subtext that have driven everyone else in their lives away. Acting is oxygen to them, without it they may as well disappear.

The chemistry between this duo is beyond endearing. The always charismatic Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been long overdue for a leading man role where he can reveal richer layers. Simon is more vulnerable than any character he’s taken on before. He may have the build of an imposing superhuman but the second he talks we see an overzealous art student. His desperation to play Wonder Man is rooted in his need to prove that he deserves a place in the room. Meanwhile, Kingsley’s Trevor has been adjacent to the room for decades. Now thirteen years sober, he cringes at being known worldwide for threatening the world as The Mandarin. To him that was just a gig gone wrong. All he has now is the radical hope that someday he will find the project that will help him move past it, a goal which becomes clearer when he finds himself up for the role of Wonder Man’s traitorous mentor. Kingsley pours himself completely into an endless spewing of previous close calls with fame and musings about what acting has done for him in his darkest moments. He’s clearly reflecting on his own legendary career and I suspect that his willingness to do so with such comedic energy may put him in the conversation for an Emmy. What a remarkable journey for a character who was once the target of vehement and misguided fan hatred of Marvel’s most criminally underrated Iron Man 3.

Given the precarious position Marvel currently holds in the industry, one might assume that Wonder Man’s Hollywood based humor might lash out. This would’ve been the opportunity to take some acidic shots at the process of making these films and the people who consume them, similar to The Boys and The Franchise. Instead, Wonder Man’s depiction of the movie business is radically good natured. Von Kovak’s adaptation of the 80s classic isn’t part of a Disney analog’s cinematic universe. It is a genuine expression of love and inspiration for the source material more along the lines of Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy. There are some awkward laughs during a lengthy callback at Von Kovack’s house where he pits all of the potential Wonder Men against each other but it never sneers at the process itself. Simon and Trevor’s passion is exactly what the auteur is looking for. The only thing standing in their way is themselves. The barbs about the filmmaking process are more rooted in minor annoyances like why every lunch order has to be from Mendocino Farms. Unapologetically a bit inside baseball, but still approachable. It is also a lovely travelog of Los Angeles, spanning both the typical landmarks and hidden gems like Eagle Rock.

The only toxic trait of this franchise that Wonder Man can’t outrun is the need for something to anticipate next. While the finale is satisfying overall, I find myself hoping that this remains a miniseries. The setup for season 2 foreshadows a story that could easily fall into more typical high octane Marvel fare. If they do decide to go forward with it, I hope that the same deep care for these characters continues.

It has been a long time since I’ve felt genuine hope for the future of the MCU. Wonder Man is a pure passion project driven by a desire to make everyone who has somehow stuck around feel something again. Perhaps the most pure expression of a creative vision that Feige has allowed to slip through the cracks since James Gunn introduced us to his Guardians. We can only pray that it is rewarded for that authenticity and that future projects follow suit.

TV Review: The Marvel Universe Finds Its Soul Again In "Wonder Man"