Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wonder Man season 1.
Now that Wonder Man has been released, the cast and creators are opening up about what the ending means for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Simon Williams, a struggling actor with powers who auditions for the title role in a remake of Wonder Man. Ben Kingsley reprises his MCU role as Trevor Slattery.
Wonder Man season 1 ends with Simon helping Trevor escape from prison using his superpowers, which have been a secret from the public.
During an interview with EW, showrunner Andrew Guest explained that the ending will have major ramifications going forward. Despite getting everything he wanted via the Wonder Man film, he was still feeling "a little empty" since he wasn't able to celebrate with the one person who'd been by his side throughout the whole process.
Trevor's prison sentence didn't sit right with him, and he realized he "won't be fulfilled" if he just sat back and did nothing, so he acted on his gut instinct and sacrificed the anonymity of his powers.
Guest and co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton have high hopes for a continuation of the story. In fact, they not only want to see Disney greenlight Wonder Man season 2, but they also want to see the show's characters be featured in other Marvel projects.
For these two filmmakers, it's not a matter of choosing just one option. "I don't think we could choose one or the other," Guest admitted.
In the same interview, Kingsley said it "would be dishonest to say, 'Ooooh, I don't know. Let's wait," a sentiment that Abdul-Mateen II agreed with.
Andrew Guest: "I don't think we could choose one or the other."
Ben Kingsley: "Of course we [want a second season]. It would be dishonest to say, 'Ooooh, I don't know. Let's wait.' Of course we do. I'll say it to the world."
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: "Absolutely."
As far as what the two actors envision for their characters after Wonder Man season 1's shocking ending, Kingsley wants to be surprised by the storyline. Fans should "expect the unexpected."
"No idea. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Expect the unexpected."
Abdul-Mateen II, meanwhile, wants to explore the success that Simon started experiencing at the end of the season. "I want to see what getting a taste of what you've always wanted, what it does to a guy like Simon," he said. The actor believes that no matter what happens, his character will be "all right."
"The other question that I think about when I think about the future of Simon is what happens when he gets a taste of what he wants? Simon's been wanting some of the stardom. I think he's been wanting this type of success for a long time, and then he gets it, and I want to see what that does to him. I want to see what getting a taste of what you've always wanted, what it does to a guy like Simon. I'm curious about that…But what I do love about Simon, which I realized today, is in the beginning we see him in the tiny [trailer] going over his script. And then toward the end, we see him in the big star wagon [trailer] and he's still going over his script. So that tells me that he's going to be all right."
Wonder Man has been described as a miniseries/limited series, which implies a single season with a beginning, middle and end. But that label hasn't stopped TV studios in the past from deciding to order additional seasons of a show originally envisioned as a miniseries.
At this point, it's too early to tell if Wonder Man, which currently has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score, will receive a second season. Disney executives will have to review the viewership data and determine whether a renewal is feasible.
Even if the series itself doesn't continue, the character of Simon could definitely continue on in other Marvel projects, like the co-creators indicated.
It's very common for MCU characters to appear across multiple movies and shows within the franchise. After all, Kingsley made his MCU debut in Iron Man 3 and then returned for the Marvel one-shot All Hail the King, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Wonder Man.
Based on the way the finale ended, it seems likely that any continuation of Wonder Man (whether in a second season or a different project) would involve both Simon and Trevor working together. What that might entail remains to be seen, though Guest and Cretton have ideas to continue the story.
Wonder Man season 1 is currently available to stream on Disney+.
