Episode Review: Wonder Man Episode 1 - "Matinee"

Welcome back to the blog readers. It has been a minute since I got to watch a Marvel series, with the last one being the very disappointing Ironheart (2025). I was hoping for a series that I could really sink my teeth into, and I had a feeling that this series was going to be a big swing (especially since this show has many people I like in it). Would the premiere, titled "Matinee," written by Andrew Guest, and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, be able to get us started on the right foot? Stick around to find out.

NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the episode.

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This is Marvel's second collaboration with Cretton (and his first this year, since he is also directing the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)), and the question was always going to be how he could possibly top Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). And I thought this episode really showed a lot of promise. From initial reviews, this show was promised to be carried on the chemistry between Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Sir Ben Kingsley, and we absolutely got that in spades. I also really enjoyed the story we got this episode.

None of the main performances really jumped out at me in this premiere, but we got something that was as advertised: the chemistry between Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Sir Ben Kingsley. Both performers have carved their own place in the industry, but Kingsley has had a career filled with nothing but accolades. However, the two of them not only morph into their respective roles of Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, but they are completely able to play off of each other in a way that I never could have imagined. The cool collectiveness that Williams has blends so perfectly with the bombastic nature of Slattery and I was instantly hooked on this relationship. I hope that we get to see more of this get explored going forward, because it can be on the levels of "Dunk" and "Egg" in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2026-).

And now, we should talk about the bite-sized but effective story that we get in this episode. We begin with a flashback to the youth of Simon Williams, where he goes to his local theater with his father to watch the film Wonder Man, which becomes his favorite film. In the present day, Williams is a down-on-his-luck actor that is psyching himself up in his trailer while preparing to film a guest role on the series American Horror Story (2011-) as a professor. Before cameras even begin rolling, he is nitpicking about several details regarding his character on the show, the props, the lighting, and the direction. The director, Lauren, is pissed and asks for his role to be cut, to which the casting director informed Simon. It is at this moment where we learn how bad Simon is struggling: he drives a terrible car and returns to his apartment where he finds his girlfriend Vivian moving out. She reveals she planned on leaving him during his day of filming. He stares at himself in the mirror as subtle tremors ripple through him. Later that day, he heads to a theater to cheer himself up and finds someone rudely talking on the phone during previews: Trevor Slattery, who was previously arrested for taking on the role of the Mandarin. Simon tries to get Trevor to stop and he instantly recognizes him from his previous projects. The two begin small-talking and continue their conversation outside, where Simon presses him on what audition he was talking about. He reveals famed director Von Kovak is remaking Wonder Man.

Simon takes this opportunity to barge into his manager Janelle's meeting to chastise her for not telling him about the Wonder Man audition, recalling his childhood memories of watching it with his father and calling it his favorite film. He begs her to book him a spot in the auditions, but she refuses, claiming the auditions are over. Refusing to accept this, he accesses her computer when she leaves for the day and finds the contact information for casting director Ruth Bakshi. Imitating Janelle's assistant, he is able to land himself a spot at the auditions. That afternoon, he is able to make it to the location where the auditions are being held where he is forced to sign a clause known as the Doorman clause that acknowledges he does not have powers. When he goes upstairs, he notices a lot of other men are waiting to audition. He begins rehearsing until he notices Trevor leaving the room like he just aced his audition. He notices Simon struggling to find the resonance with the character and rehearsing the dialogue and tells him to stop overthinking every single detail about the character. He also tells him to deliver the script with complete conviction. Simon is then called into the room and crushes his audition. Later that night, the two reunite at a bar where Trevor reveals he is thirteen years sober and believes the secret to acting is to not think. The two grow finder while talking about their experiences. Simon leaves and Trevor gets a phone call that reveals Simon has superpowers and needs to be taken into custody. Trevor assures the man that Simon is falling for his trap as the episode ends.

Wonder Man's premiere episode begins to develop our main relationship and give us some hard truths about the business we love so much. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.