Marvel Entertainment generated the most buzz at New York Comic-Con 2025 with the MCU’s Phase 6. Wonder Man’s concept shocked the audience as it won’t focus on the 1964 superhero, but instead on the man named Simon Williams. At the same time, Marvel’s What-If scenario is speculated to be a side-story in the WandaVision trilogy. Here’s what the official trailer presented, and the confirmation from Marvel’s NYCC panel.
Wonder Man is a Spoof on Superhero Movies
Wonder Man will be a mini-series following Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who was inspired by the hero’s original movie. When Director Von Kovak announced he was producing a film remake, Simon immediately auditioned for the part. This is fitting as the original Marvel vigilante by the same name pursues an acting career. The NYCC trailer presented a meta-satire that is very similar to Seth Rogen’s The Studio. The comic book giant is poking fun at itself and DC for the genre’s popularity fatigue in the Hollywood industry.
Simon also makes an acquaintance with the returning character, Trevor Slatterly (Sir Ben Kingsley). MCU fans recognized him as the terrorist who posed as The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. The once-drug addicted actor was later rehabilitated while being held captive in Aldrich Killian’s compound in Shang-Chi and The Ten Rings.
Now fully pursuing an acting career, Trevor informs Simon he’s also auditioning for Wonder Man. He even managed to charm the casting crew, with one member vaguely remembering his part in Iron Man 3. They were both called back by Kovach’s producers and will be participating in the film process.
Why Do Marvel Fans See the Hero a Part of WandaVision?
When Wonder Man was announced to be a part of Phase 6 in 2022, everyone hoped he would become part of WandaVision’s timeline. According to the official Marvel profiles, Simon Williams played an important role in the Vision’s creation and Wanda Maximoff’s romantic life. The actor mutant was killed in the 1960s Avengers comics in Issue #9. He used his experimental ionic powers to defend the team from Baron Heinrich Zemo’s plan.
His brother Eric refused to accept Simon’s death by resurrecting him with the Tinkerer’s coma-inducing scythe. He became the Grim Reaper as he continuously prevented Simon from resting in peace. Ultron became inspired by Eric’s vendetta against the Avengers while examining Simon’s ionic energy. Thanks to Zemo, the mad robot makes a copy of his brain patterns to create Vision.
After dealing with the Masters of Evil, Simon and the Vision treated each other as brothers. They both fell in love with Wanda during Avengers: Age of Ultron. Her love did not last for Simon due to the unstable circumstances in her life.
Wonder Man’s NYCC trailer did not show any signs of the MCU version having powers. However, Redditors discovered that this seemingly Marvel What-If mini-series has shown a snippet of it. Game Radar found an X (then Twitter) post of the Disney+ trailer posted on July 8, 2025. It showcased Abdul-Mateen shattering a kitchen island, glowing red eyes, and collapsing the Wonder Man studio set.
Commenters find it intriguing when examining the details. “I highly doubt we are getting 8 episodes of Hollywood drama in an MCU show,” said one user in disbelief. Another fan exclaimed, “This trailer reminds me a lot of WandaVision, and the magic of the show is where you have no idea what was going on.”
YouTuber, The Cosmic Wonder arranged a film release chart of MCU Phase 6 two days after the Oct. 11th Marvel panel showcase. Wonder Man is scheduled to release next year on Jan. 27th. Vision Quest is planned after Simon Williams’ debut in the MCU. The Vision’s show is currently set between Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 (Fall 2026) and Avengers: Doomsday (December 10, 2026). The speculations are considered to be justified through Simon William’s comic history.
Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley’s Love the Show’s Direction
As fans count the days before Wonder Man’s debut, the show’s development sounds like it’s in great hands. Kingsley is grateful to reprise himself as Trevor Slattery. He’s even happier that the project is under Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s care.
Abdul-Mateen shared a heartwarming speech about playing Simon Williams and how it relates to the hardships of being an entertainer. “As an actor, there’s so much that goes into it. There’re vulnerability, ego, hopes, dreams, and ambitions. There’s also the lonely road. As Simon, I get to walk that fine line and experience all of that. I’m excited to share his journey towards achieving his dreams.”
Kingsley added about how the show is set entirely in Los Angeles, as it’s grown into a symbol of determination. “LA is emblematic of people’s dreams in this whole entertainment industry. We were constantly fed by that wonderful working environment. [Wonder Man] is a great gift to film it. We were amongst all these iconic echoes of the great Hollywood years, which we are still perpetuated now.”
