With all the talk about superhero fatigue, it looks like Marvel Studios is getting in on the discussion with their upcoming series Wonder Man. Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams / Wonder Man, the MCU show follows an actor auditioning for a superhero reboot while having powers of his own. The series has generated a great deal of buzz, with some calling it “Marvel’s Best Show.”
Speaking with Empire, Abdul-Mateen II talked about what will help Wonder Man stand out from the rest of the MCU Disney+ series. “We’re doing something that, tonally, feels much different than really any other Marvel show, or any other films. We’re doing something that’s fresh, and a bit tongue-in-cheek, a bit self-aware,” said Abdul-Mateen II. The actor also revealed the series will address the concerns about superhero fatigue, but won’t sacrifice emotional catharsis for straight-up comedy. Abdul-Mateen II said:
“There’ll be commentary about superhero fatigue and things like that, but to me, it’s just dressing. That’s not really the aim of the show. The focus of the show is about an actor’s journey. It’s about a journey of friendship.”
Has Superhero Fatigue Impacted the MCU?
Marvel Studios is no stranger to getting meta. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had the title character break the fourth wall to confront and lay into many MCU tropes. Deadpool & Wolverine saw the Merc with a Mouth get in on the jokes about multiverse fatigue and the MCU being at “a bit of a low point.” Yet, where those two titles had characters who could break the fourth wall, Wonder Man looks to incorporate the actual industry concerns about superhero fatigue into the narrative.
While the extent of superhero fatigue and the MCU’s decline has sometimes been greatly exaggerated, there is some merit to the discussion. Not counting 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2025 will mark the first time since 2011 that an MCU film was not top ten in the worldwide box office. Even though The Fantastic Four: First Steps still managed to make over $500 million, some saw it as a disappointment when compared to the larger box office numbers of the MCU’s Infinity Saga era.
Wonder Man will kick off the MCU’s 2026 slate of releases, debuting on Disney+ on January 27, 2026. It will be followed by Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 in March, X-Men ’97 Season 2 in the summer, Spider-Man: Brand New Day in theaters on July 31, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 in the fall, Vision Quest, and finally Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026. Even amid concerns about superhero fatigue, the MCU is still going strong, and judging by its slate of titles, it has something for everyone.
- Release Date
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December, 2025
- Network
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Disney+
- Writers
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Andrew Guest