History of Wonder Man (miniseries) in Timeline

Wonder Man is a Disney+ miniseries set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest, it centers on Simon Williams / Wonder Man, a Marvel Comics character. The series follows actors Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery as they navigate the entertainment industry, seeking roles in a remake of the film Wonder Man. Andrew Guest serves as the showrunner for the series, which is produced by Marvel Studios.

January 1978: Safari Jacket Costume Debut

In January 1978, the "safari jacket" costume debuted in The Avengers vol. 1 #167, and is featured in the Wonder Man series.

December 1984: Sleeveless Black Suit Debut

In December 1984, the sleeveless black suit with a large red "W" symbol on the chest was first featured in The Avengers vol. 1 #253, and is featured in the Wonder Man series.

September 1986: Green Jumpsuit Introduction

In September 1986, the green jumpsuit with a red "W" and "M" chest emblem and a yellow jetpack was introduced in West Coast Avengers vol. 2 #12, and is featured in the Wonder Man series.

2013: "In Summer" Featured in Doorman Episode

In 2013, the song "In Summer" from the movie Frozen, originally sung by Josh Gad as Olaf, was remixed by Joel P. West for a scene in the Doorman episode of Wonder Man, where Gad serves as the DJ of the Wilcox Club.

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August 2021: Feige and Cretton approach Ben Kingsley

Soon after Shang-Chi premiered in August 2021, Kevin Feige and Destin Daniel Cretton approached Ben Kingsley about the Wonder Man series.

December 2021: Cretton Signs Deal to Develop TV Projects

In December 2021, Destin Daniel Cretton signed a multi-year deal with Marvel Studios and Onyx Collective to develop television projects for Disney+, with a comedy series known to already be in development.

December 2021: Cretton Signs Overall Deal with Marvel Studios

In December 2021, Destin Daniel Cretton signed an overall deal with Marvel Studios to create television series for Disney+, with a comedy series already in development. Ideas centered on Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery were being considered. Filming would start in April 2023.

June 2022: Wonder Man in Development

In June 2022, Wonder Man was revealed to be in development with Andrew Guest attached as head writer, and Destin Daniel Cretton expected to direct episodes.

August 2022: Kingsley Reprises Role as Slattery

In August 2022, Ben Kingsley was revealed to be reprising his MCU role of Trevor Slattery in the Wonder Man series.

February 2023: Directors Join the Series

In February 2023, James Ponsoldt and Stella Meghie joined Destin Daniel Cretton to direct multiple episodes of Wonder Man.

February 2023: Lauren Glazier Cast

In February 2023, Lauren Glazier was cast in a supporting role in Wonder Man.

April 5, 2023: Principal Photography Begins

Principal photography for Wonder Man began by April 5, 2023, in Los Angeles, under the working title Callback, with Destin Daniel Cretton, James Ponsoldt, Tiffany Johnson, and Stella Meghie directing.

April 2023: Filming Begins in Los Angeles

Filming for Wonder Man began in April 2023 on location in Los Angeles, with James Ponsoldt, Tiffany Johnson, and Stella Meghie also directing episodes. Production was shut down in May due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

May 2023: WGA strike impacts production

In May 2023, the WGA strike began, initially not expected to halt Wonder Man's production. Filming around Hollywood Boulevard was disrupted by picketers on May 4. Production was further halted at Radford Studio Center on May 8. By the end of May 2023, production was shut down completely, awaiting the resolution of both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

September 2023: Release Date Unclear

By September 2023, the release date for Wonder Man was unclear due to ongoing strikes and incomplete filming.

October 2023: Marvel Shifts to Showrunner Model

In October 2023, Marvel Studios shifted their creative philosophy, moving away from head writers and beginning to hire dedicated showrunners for their series; Andrew Guest was ultimately named showrunner for Wonder Man.

October 2023: Series Re-evaluation and potential Tax Write-Off

In October 2023, it was reported that Marvel Studios was considering canceling the Wonder Man series despite some filming having been completed. The production pause was used to re-evaluate the series. There was a risk it could become a tax write-off for Disney, however, Marvel Studios executives ensured filming could be completed.

January 2024: Filming Resumes in Los Angeles

Filming for Wonder Man resumed in Los Angeles by early January 2024.

January 2024: Filming Resumes

Filming for Wonder Man, which was shut down in May due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, resumed by early January 2024.

March 2024: Series Editing Underway

By March 2024, the Wonder Man series was in the editing phase with Gina Sansom, Nena Erb, and Cassie Dixon as editors and John Haley as the visual effects supervisor.

August 2024: Josh Gad Joins Cast

By the end of April, Josh Gad had reportedly joined the cast of Wonder Man, which was confirmed in August 2024. Byron Bowers, Béchir Sylvain, and Manny McCord were also revealed to have been cast in 2024.

September 2024: Series Completion

Around September 2024, the Wonder Man series was completed and ready for release.

September 2024: Series Ready for Release

Around September 2024, the Wonder Man series was ready for release but was subsequently delayed.

October 2024: First Footage Released

In October 2024, Disney+ released a video that included the first footage from the Wonder Man series, announcing release schedules for Marvel Television and Marvel Animation projects through the end of 2025.

October 2024: Release Scheduled for December 2025

In October 2024, Wonder Man was scheduled for release in December 2025 after delays.

October 2024: Series Formally Announced

Marvel Studios formally announced the Wonder Man series in October 2024, describing it as the studio's "worst-kept secret".

May 2025: Wait-and-see Approach

By May 2025, Marvel Studios was taking a "wait-and-see approach" regarding whether Wonder Man would get a second season, as the series was developed prior to their shift towards multi-season television series.

May 2025: Footage Shown at Disney Upfront Presentation

More footage from Wonder Man, introduced by Ben Kingsley, was shown during Disney's upfront presentation in May 2025.

July 2025: Arian Moayed to Reprise Role

In July 2025, Arian Moayed was revealed to be reprising his MCU role as P. Cleary in Wonder Man.

July 2025: Abdul-Mateen Appears as Simon at 'The Fantastic Four' Premiere

In July 2025, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appeared in character as Simon at the red carpet premiere for the MCU film The Fantastic Four: First Steps. While in character as Simon, he called Wonder Man a "dream part" for him, having enjoyed the original 1980s film when he was younger.

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October 2025: New York Comic Con Promotion and Trailer Premiere

In October 2025, Yahya Abdul-Mateen and Ben Kingsley promoted the series at New York Comic Con, premiering the first trailer. A teaser poster featuring The Hollywood Reporter cover was also released.

December 2025: Premiere Pushed Back

In December 2025 the series' premiere was pushed back.

December 2025: Fictional Promotional Videos Released

Throughout December 2025, a series of fictional promotional videos were released for the Wonder Man series. These included announcements for the Wonder Man remake film with interviews, a promotional video for "The Slattery Method" acting masterclass, and a video for the fictional podcast Bad Actors. Actors Unscripted was also released, parodying talk shows.

December 2025: Release Date Shifted to January 2026

Wonder Man's release was shifted to January 2026 because Marvel Studios did not want the series to be competing with holiday programming.

January 1, 2026: New Year's Day Trailer Release

On January 1, 2026, a new trailer for Wonder Man was released, providing a deeper look at Simon's powers and teasing his ionic abilities.

January 2026: Possibility of Season 2

In January 2026, Andrew Guest said he had thoughts on what a second season of Wonder Man could be. The series would only be renewed if it had "big, big [viewership] numbers".

January 2026: Additional Cast Members Revealed

In January 2026, more actors and roles were revealed for Wonder Man: Juliette Ortega as Melanie, Sylvain and Shola Adewusi as Sanford and Martha Williams, respectively; X Mayo as Janelle Jackson; Olivia Thirlby as Vivian; Larsen as Brent Willard; Kameron J. Meadows as a young Simon; Charlotte Ross and Torrey Vogel were also revealed to be part of the cast.

January 2026: Release Date Shifted to January 2026

Wonder Man's release was later shifted to a January 2026 release because Marvel Studios did not want the series to be competing with holiday programming.

January 27, 2026: Wonder Man Released on Disney+

On January 27, 2026, Wonder Man was released in its entirety on Disney+. The series consists of eight episodes and is part of Phase Six of the MCU, released under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner. The release was delayed by over a year due to the strike and changes to Marvel's release schedule. It received positive reviews from critics.