Marvel has quite a few superhero-centered TV shows and films scheduled for release in 2026 that tie in with the entertainment company’s superhero theme, but there is another upcoming series that appears to deviate from that norm.
Enter “Wonder Man,” Marvel Studios’ new TV show releasing on Jan. 27. Marvel released the show’s first trailer two weeks ago, giving their audience a first look at the series.
Wonder Man is a comic book character who hasn’t made too many appearances in new digital media.
In Simon Williams’ (Wonder Man) original backstory within the comics, he goes bankrupt from his failed company, joins a criminal gang and develops a deep hatred for Tony Stark (Iron Man), which stems from jealousy.
Eventually, Wonder Man would go on to reform himself by helping stop other villains and become a part-time member of the Avengers as well as a part-time actor and stuntman.
While in the criminal gang, Simon was given his powers by Baron Zemo and the Masters of Evil, a team of villains who frequently battled the Avengers, gaining the standard superhero combination of powers including super strength, the ability to fly and virtual invulnerability among other powers.
Wonder Man has made several appearances in different forms of modern Marvel media including shows such as “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” and “The Avengers: United They Stand.”
The “Wonder Man” trailer, however, takes a different approach to Simon’s backstory. In this version, we learn that Simon is auditioning for a role as “Wonder Man” in a popular movie remake. This is an interesting change since a decent part of his original backstory is cut out and replaced with a stuntman persona.
Another key point that, at an initial glance, separates the “Wonder Man” trailer from most Marvel releases is that the series isn’t as bombastic and explosive. While the trailer does contain some minor nods and references to comic book Wonder Man, such as his original costume, there isn’t much else that hints at how the rest of the series will turn out.
From the small parts of the series we’ve seen, it feels as if the trailer has only shown a small part of the series instead of giving a broader look into it. From the perspective of someone who isn’t familiar with traditional Marvel films and series, it may not even seem like Wonder Man is a superhero show.
“Wonder Man” will be released alongside Marvel heavy hitters later in the year such as Season 2 of “Daredevil: Born Again,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “Avengers: Doomsday,” making 2026 a jampacked year of superhero content for Marvel fans.
