While Wonder Man is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it also holds the rare distinction of being a Los Angeles show.
Series co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton admitted he and his team “all put our personal experiences” with Hollywood into the eight-episode series, which is now available to stream on Disney+
“We wanted to capture the LA and the side of Hollywood that you don’t typically see portrayed on film,” he explained to Discussing Film. “The non-glitz and glamor side, the living in a one-bedroom apartment that smells like feet, and you can see the Hollywood sign in the distance.”
Cretton continued, “And your dream is way over there while you’re eating Top Ramen to survive. That’s the feeling of this show. It was very easy to reproduce because it’s all a part of our experience and our memory.”
Co-created by Cretton and Andrew Guest, Wonder Man follows struggling actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who suddenly gets powers of his own while trying to land a role in a remake of the titular superhero film.
Due to the Doorman Clause, which prohibits actors with superpowers from performing in film and television, Simon hides his abilities. Meanwhile, he’s still learning just how powerful he truly is.
In addition to Abdul-Mateen, Wonder Man stars Ben Kingsley, Arian Moayed, Joe Pantoliano, Byron Bowers, Josh Gad, X Mayo and Zlatko Burić.