Destin Daniel Cretton is pushing back on the fan narrative that Marvel Television “dumped” Wonder Man. With a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and positive audience engagement, Wonder Man has been seen as a high mark for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet Disney+’s decision to release all eight episodes at once at the end of January, combined with seemingly sitting on the completed series for over a year, has caused some fans to accuse Marvel Studios of abandoning the series.
Speaking with Majic 102.1, Wonder Man co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton said Marvel Television, including Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, believed in the series. “If Marvel didn’t care about this show, it wouldn’t be out in the world at all. And it definitely would not be out in the world in the form that it is,” Cretton said, referring to the revelation that at one point, Wonder Man was almost completely abandoned as a tax write-off when the series was on hold during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Cretton continued, saying:
“I am very happy to see that people are loving the show for the same reasons we do, because it’s different. It’s a bit of a big swing for Marvel to take. And I can’t say it was a struggle to make. Everybody from Kevin [Feige] on down really loved the tone of the show and loved that it was different, and loved pushing limits. And everybody here loves movies, and that’s what the show is really about. So yeah, the internet likes to make up stories and narratives. But I love the passion behind it because people just love the show and want more people to see it. So I’m all for that.”
Why Disney+ Might Have Released All Eight Episodes of ‘Wonder Man’ At Once
Disney’s decision to release all eight episodes of Wonder Man and Echo, rather than the weekly format used for series like Daredevil: Born Again or Loki, raised eyebrows among some. Marvel has been experimenting with several recent releases, such as the six-episode run of Ironheart over two weeks, while What If…? Season 2 and 3 were released daily over the holiday season in December. One thing of note, though, is that Wonder Man, like Echo before it, was released under the Marvel Spotlight banner. These shows focus on Marvel characters that may not be familiar to fans, but are also not intricately tied to larger MCU story arcs.
However, the idea that Marvel Studios didn’t market or push Wonder Man isn’t entirely accurate. Wonder Man got a bigger rollout than Echo, and even Marvel Zombies or any of the seasons of What If…?. The first teaser for Wonder Man debuted on Oct. 10, 2025, at New York Comic Con, a little over three months before the series landed on Disney+. However, Marvel began the marketing campaign in July of that year, when actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appeared in character as Simon Williams at the premiere of The Fantastic Four: The First Steps. In keeping with the spirit of Wonder Man as a meta-Hollywood series, the marketing campaign included an ad for a fictional podcast hosted by Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankewitz, interviewing Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery.
Part of the reason Disney+ decided to release all eight episodes of Wonder Man at once was probably twofold. Early reactions to the show suggested that Wonder Man is one of the best MCU series in years, and allowing subscribers to binge the series would likely garner plenty of immediate praise and hype, something better than any marketing campaign. Additionally, with Wonder Man not being an established character, like Wanda Maximoff or Loki, there was always a question over whether subscribers would come back week by week for new chapters, or simply wait and binge the whole series at the end of the run anyway. While the status of Wonder Man‘s future in the MCU is currently uncertain, there is always a chance of more adventures to come for both Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery if audiences want them.
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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Disney+
- Directors
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James Ponsoldt, Stella Meghie
- Writers
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Andrew Guest, Madeline Walter, Paul Welsh, Zeke Nicholson, Roja Gashtili, Julia Lerman
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