Marvel Studios’ “Wonder Man” series debuts in full next week, but reviews are now out and the reaction seems to be very good.
With 39 reviews counted, the series sits at a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, putting it on the same level as well-regarded MCU works like “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “WandaVision”.
On Metacritic, the series stands at a 75/100 which is the same as the first season of “Daredevil” on Netflix and one above the first season of “Loki”.
This marks a welcome surprise as the binge release and January release date led some to suspect Marvel was essentially dumping the program – turns out they’ve got something good. Here’s a sampling of reviews:
“The genuine friendship that blossoms between them is delightful, with scenes where the pair are simply bonding over their favourite lines and acting experiences being some of the purest and sweetest in the entire MCU.” – Amon Warmann, Empire
“By stripping away the epic scope and fantastical battles these superhero blockbusters have been known for, it brings to the forefront the very human drives that have always given Marvel movies their real magic.” – Angie Han, THR
“A show like “Wonder Man” might be the remedy for the superhero fatigue real Hollywood’s suffered for years.” – Bob Strauss, SF Chronicle
“An MCU-style industry send-up à la The Studio or The Franchise that features fewer laughs than those satires but, courtesy of its leads, a surprising amount of heart.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
“Low on superpowers, but full of charm, it uses the backdrop of this universe to tell an affecting tale of two outsiders trying to find a way to pursue their dreams against all the odds.” – Will Salmon, Games Radar
“The series’ avoidance of the standard MCU cliches in favor of sticking to its own rhythms continues all the way through the ending.” – Reuben Baron, Looper
“Wonder Man is not bad, by any means, but it remains resolutely average in the action sequences and narrative twists, bolstered by the performances, which are the signature elements that make it rise above what might be expected.” – Peter Martin, Screen Anarchy
“For a series this unexceptional in visual ambition, it’s unclear what was gained; it plays like regular, serviceable TV, which would be fine if the writing were sharper. It isn’t.” – Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
Dubbed a love letter to filmmaking, acting, and Hollywood itself, “Wonder Man” follows actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) as he’s thrust into the world of superheroes, getting powers of his own, and becoming the superhero known as Wonder Man.
In the series, the industry announces a modern-day film reboot of a classic superhero TV series property with legendary filmmaker Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić) coming out of retirement to direct. Sir Ben Kingsley reprises his role as Trevor Slattery, who is something of a friend/mentor to Simon, with both up for roles in the film.
All eight episodes of “Wonder Man” will be available for streaming on January 27th.
