While excitement grows for the future of the MCU, Marvel fans are also dissecting the layered storytelling inside Wonder Man—and the surprising easter eggs hidden beneath its surface. We spoke with Destin Daniel Cretton, who serves as a key creative force behind Wonder Man, helping shape the tone, character-driven storytelling, and thematic direction of the series as it introduces audiences to a more introspective corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe under the broader vision of Marvel Studios.
In our conversation, Cretton detailed how the show intentionally centers on Simon Williams as a man who is not immediately defined by confidence or mastery of his abilities, but instead by uncertainty, emotional vulnerability, and a reluctance to confront powers he does not yet understand, an approach designed to create a slow-burn narrative about identity, belonging, and the deeply human fear of standing apart from the world around you rather than a traditional superhero origin built on spectacle and instant transformation.
At the center of the series is Simon Williams, portrayed not as a traditional, confident superhero but as someone unsure of what’s happening to him. The show intentionally leans into mystery surrounding his abilities.
“The mystery stems out of the fact that he doesn’t want anybody to know what’s going on inside of him.”
Rather than mastering his powers right away, Simon is shown avoiding them, creating a slow-burn exploration of identity, fear, and self-acceptance. That hesitation is what gives the character a striking parallel to Marvel’s classic outsider narratives—individuals struggling not just with abilities, but with what those abilities mean for their place in the world.
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In our discussion, the conversation naturally turned to whether this approach could be laying thematic groundwork for mutants in the MCU. While nothing was confirmed outright, the emphasis on secrecy, social discomfort, and the desire to “fit in” echoes the emotional lens long associated with Marvel’s mutant storytelling, particularly in series like X-Men.
Cretton pointed to relatability as the driving force behind Simon’s journey, less about spectacle and more about internal conflict. The show frames power not as something triumphant, but as something confusing and isolating, an experience many characters in mutant lore share before embracing who they are.
By focusing on psychology over power displays, Wonder Man may be signaling a tonal bridge—introducing audiences to stories about difference, acceptance, and identity before those themes expand on a larger scale across the MCU.
“It’s not something that he has actively learned to develop… I’m not sure even Simon knows much about his own powers.”
This internal struggle is what gives the series its emotional weight. The character’s vulnerability, anxiety, and openness are treated as defining traits rather than weaknesses.
“One of the wonderful things about this character is how open he is, how vulnerable he is, how neurotic he is, how anxious he is.”
The inclusion of Damage Control and society’s reaction to powered individuals adds a grounded realism to the narrative. These elements reflect a broader MCU theme about people who feel different trying to find where they belong.
“He is so relatable to people in the same way that outsiders are… they wish they could fit in, but they can’t.”
Equally compelling is the emotional core of the show—especially Simon’s bond with Trevor, a dynamic that highlights friendship amid uncertainty and change.
Taken together, Wonder Man feels less like a straightforward origin story and more like a character study with ripple effects, suggesting that Marvel Studios is quietly laying groundwork for stories that could expand far beyond this series.
Stream Wonder Man now on Disney+.
