This article contains spoilers for “Wonder Man” season 1, episode 8 – “Yucca Valley”.
The problem with Marvel’s “Wonder Man” series is that it’s as much about the return of Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery as it is about the return of Trevor Slattery. Superpowered Simon Williams by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Trevor was infamously introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a disgraced actor hired to play the Mandarin by “Iron Man 3” villain Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), and he has since paid the price for the role.
Trevor enters the show by stealthily arranging a “chance” meeting with Simon and worming his way into the young comedian’s good graces. He is acting under the orders of Department of Damage Control agent Cleary (Arian Moyaed), who threatens to send him back to prison if he refuses to comply. However, Trevor soon becomes truly in love with Simon. After Simon discovers Trevor’s duplicity, the young actor’s anger causes him to lose control of his powers and destroys the set of the movie “Wonder Man” in a massive explosion. This prompts Trevor, ashamed, to perform the noblest act available to him; Donning the Mandarin costume again, Trevor takes responsibility for the explosion and goes to a high-security supervillain prison in Simon’s place.
We’d already seen hints of Trevor’s redemption arc in previous MCU projects – namely, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” from “Wonder Man” helmer Destin Daniel Cretton, where the character played a vital supporting role and helped defend the mythical village of Ta Lo. However, “Wonder Man” goes one step further and completes Trevor’s unexpected but welcome transformation into a true hero.
Wonder Man Has No Real Villains (But a Surprising Hero)
‘Wonder Man’ raises the curtain on the Marvel Cinematic Universe in many ways. Notably, it’s also the rare MCU project that doesn’t have a real villain. Instead, every major character who is hostile to someone else simply does things that make sense to them. Simon is simply trying to become a successful actor while avoiding using his powers, while his brother, Eric (Demetrius Grosse), seems hostile, but he truly cares about his younger brother; he just doesn’t always understand it. Even the show’s main antagonistic force, Cleary, legitimately — and, in some ways, rightly — views Simon’s explosive powers as a huge potential threat.
The whole setup is a refreshing take on the usual antics of the MCU’s heroes and villains. It’s also the perfect setting for the final chapter of one of the most surprising hero arcs the franchise has ever given us. Trevor taking responsibility for the studio explosion caused by Simon by returning to his Mandarin guise confirms that the character is now truly on the side of the angels, even if he might complain about it… and the fact that Simon spends much of the season finale on a high-risk mission to rescue his friend from Yucca Valley Prison suggests that the MCU may not be done with Mr. Slattery yet.
“Wonder Man” is streaming on Disney+.
