Comic book filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton originally pitched Wonder Man as nothing more than an elaborate joke. The director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings revealed that what started as a gag eventually became one of the more successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series on Disney+.
The "Joke Pitch" Behind Wonder Man
During a recent panel at Deadline Contenders TV, Cretton discussed the early development of the show. Before stepping into the roles of director, writer, and executive producer for Wonder Man, he helped sell the project—even if the original concept wasn't intended to become a full-scale production.
The inspiration stemmed from Cretton’s fondness for Trevor Slattery, the actor-turned-terrorist played by Ben Kingsley in Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi. Cretton felt the character was a standout performer who remained underutilized in the wider MCU.
"The genesis of the idea actually sprouted when we were on the $\text{set}$ of Shang Chi and I just loved working with Sir Ben [Kingsley, as Trevor Slattery] and I really loved his character and I really feel like in every movie Trevor Slattery has been such a standout and under utilized," Cretton said. "So I did a joke pitch to my producer Jonathan Schwartz and said 'We should do Trevor Goes To Hollywood.'"
From Poster to Production
The concept quickly escalated beyond a simple suggestion. After the initial pitch, producer Jonathan Schwartz collaborated with the art department to bring a visual element to the joke.
The resulting promotional material included:
- A retro-inspired 1980s aesthetic.
- Trevor Slattery pictured in a classic convertible.
- A "Trevor Goes to Hollywood" theme that convinced Cretton the show was a necessity.
A New Direction for the MCU
While many Disney+ Marvel series serve as springboards for characters like Loki, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, or Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man takes a different approach. The series moves away from heavy superpower displays to focus on the character drama of Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Trevor Slattery attempting to find success as actors in Hollywood.
Despite this change in pace, the show has proven its staying power. Just last month, Marvel greenlit a second season, making it one of only three MCU shows to run past an initial season.
Executive producer Andrew Guest noted that the project was a creative risk that Marvel reexamined during the recent strikes. "It’s been this underground project that the people at Marvel believed in," Guest added.
While a release date for Season 2 has not yet been announced, the momentum continues to build. The series previously earned an 8/10 review, with critics praising it as a "smaller, low-stakes MCU adventure" driven by the powerful performances of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley.
