According to a main cast member, Marvel’s first Disney+ series coming in 2026 will actually tell the story of how a villain comes to be. The series, titled Wonder Man, will introduce Simon Williams (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) as a new superhero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While not a hugely famous hero yet, the show is hoping to attract viewers with its Hollywood setting and the return of familiar faces like Sir Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery. Slattery’s history as a villain in Iron Man 3 makes his reappearance particularly interesting, even though his character received something of a redemption arc in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
I recently chatted with Sir Ben Kingsley, and he gave us a fascinating peek behind the curtain of the upcoming Wonder Man series. He described it as essentially Trevor Slattery’s true life story – a real origin tale, not just about his time as the fake Mandarin. Apparently, the show will delve into his life before he even landed that infamous role, and then follow him through everything that happened afterward. It sounds like we’re getting a much deeper understanding of this character than we ever expected!
While working on Shang-Chi, Kevin Feige and director Destin Daniel Cretton mentioned they were considering bringing my character, Trevor, back for a fourth appearance in a new TV series. Even before they had a title, I immediately said yes! I really enjoy playing Trevor – he’s a complex character. This series shows Trevor’s life both before and after he became the Mandarin, essentially telling his life story over four episodes.
Kingsley mentioned the show will be a four-episode biopic focusing on his character, Trevor Slattery, which has led fans to wonder if he’ll only appear in those episodes or if they’ll be centered around his story. It’s also been confirmed that Wonder Man will have a unique release strategy, with all eight episodes becoming available on Disney+ at once.
Interestingly, a large part of Wonder Man focuses on the backstory of Trevor Slattery, finally explaining how he became the Mandarin – beyond just being motivated by money.
During the same interview, Kingsley hinted that his character, Trevor, might be involved in something mischievous in Wonder Man. He mentioned that Trevor will be “faced with a terrible dilemma.”
Trevor will encounter a difficult situation where achieving his goals comes with a significant sacrifice. He’ll have to make a tough decision, and it’s a compelling story.
The actor also explained that Trevor views Simon Williams as someone he can easily manipulate to get what he wants.
Trevor views Simon as both a friend and coworker, but also as someone he can use to achieve his own goals. It’s a common human dynamic – feeling connected to someone while simultaneously recognizing the need to take advantage of that relationship to get ahead.
It’ll be really compelling to see how Trevor’s story unfolds in Wonder Man. Since Shang-Chi already showed that he’s not entirely bad, the internal conflict between his heroic and villainous sides will make him a captivating character, and could even make Wonder Man a better movie overall.
Wonder Man, a new series from the director of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Destin Daniel Cretton, centers around Simon Williams, an actor chasing his Hollywood dreams while hiding a secret – he has superpowers. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Wonder Man, alongside Sir Ben Kingsley, Demetrius Grosse, and Arian Moayed. It will debut on Disney+ on January 27, 2026.
Will Wonder Man’s Focus on Trevor Hurt the Series?
Marvel is going all-out to promote its new show, Wonder Man, and they’ve consistently featured the character Trevor Slattery in all their promotional materials. Besides Sir Ben Kingsley being a well-known actor, using Trevor makes sense because fans already know and like him, and it fits with the show’s comedic style.
The upcoming series Wonder Man will delve into Trevor Slattery’s backstory, which has sparked excitement among fans eager to learn how he became involved with the Mandarin in Iron Man 3.
However, this change could seriously hurt the show’s chances of being a successful superhero story. It might shift the attention away from the main hero, Simon Williams, particularly since Trevor will be the central character in half of the show’s episodes.
For the story to succeed, Wonder Man needs to skillfully weave together the narratives of both Trevor and Simon, creating a cohesive plot that ultimately leads to a satisfying conclusion.
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2025-12-17 20:35