Marvel Entertainment has dropped the official trailer for its 2026 series, Wonder Man. While the clip introduces Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon Williams, it also appears to be setting the stage for Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot.
The trailer focuses on Simon Williams, a struggling actor who secretly possesses superpowers as he tries to land his big break in Hollywood.
But beyond showcasing Abdul-Mateen II’s dynamic with Sir Ben Kingsley, who returns as Trevor Slattery, it also subtly prepares the groundwork for the X-Men’s eventual arrival in the MCU.
How Wonder Man Quietly Sets the Stage for Marvel’s X-Men Reboot
The Wonder Man trailer shows Simon signing forms that confirm he does not possess any superpowers – though, of course, he secretly does.
By the looks of it, this appears to be a Hollywood policy designed to keep individuals with superhuman abilities away from film productions.
While this detail may seem small-scale, it can be likened to Mayor Wilson Fisk’s anti-vigilante campaign in Daredevil: Born Again.
Although the Sokovia Accords were repealed following Captain America: Civil War, the MCU has continued introducing new policies and restrictions from governments and corporations aimed at regulating superpowered individuals.
Does this ring a bell? As seen in several MCU projects, the Department of Damage Control has been consistently monitoring and controlling superpowered beings and others they deem extraordinary threats.
Knowing how mutants are treated in the world of the X-Men, this environment appears to be deliberately built to pave the way for their arrival in the MCU.
Mutant persecution has always been a central theme of the X-Men, and the MCU now seems to be laying the groundwork for policies that could eventually target mutants.
With Daredevil: Born Again and Wonder Man both hinting that society is beginning to turn against anyone perceived as “non-human,” the introduction of the X-Men into the MCU feels not only natural, but inevitable.
What is Wonder Man About?
Wonder Man combines superhero storytelling with Hollywood satire, with Simon at its center.
An ambitious but unsuccessful actor, Simon is simply trying to break into the entertainment industry when his life takes a dramatic turn after he secretly gains superhuman abilities.
Unlike other MCU projects, Wonder Man takes a meta approach by exploring Hollywood from the inside, from auditions and film sets to contracts and studio politics, while showing how superheroes are commodified and regulated within the entertainment world.
The series also brings back Trevor Slattery, the washed-up actor infamous for posing as the Mandarin in Iron Man 3.
Wonder Man is set to premiere on Disney+ on January 27, 2026.
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