Wonder Man is coming to Disney+ and Hulu, with all eight episodes of the new MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) series dropping on January 27. And as with any new Marvel series, the first question that comes is: how much homework do I need to do? What MCU movies and TV shows do I need to watch before tackling the new superhero comedy?
The answer, according to Marvel Studios is, uh, nothing. Wonder Man is under the Marvel Spotlight banner, which is supposed to indicate shows that require no prior viewing to get into. The only previous Marvel Spotlight release, though, was Echo, which spun off of three seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil and one season of Disney+’s Hawkeye, and then set up the events of Daredevil: Born Again. So, you know, take that whole “Spotlight” thing with a grain of salt.
While Wonder Man does ostensibly give you everything you need to know to get into the show, there are some movies and TV series you could spend the next few days bingeing to get prepped for the Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley starring series. So with that in mind, let’s break down everything you should — or rather, can — watch, along with importance to understand what’s going on.
Must Watch: Iron Man 3
Look, if there’s one thing you watch before Wonder Man and you’re tight on time, make it Iron Man 3. The 2013 Shane Black co-written and directed film introduced Kingsley as The Mandarin, an international terrorist plaguing Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.)… Who was actually a washed up actor named Trevor Slattery playing the role. It’s either one of the greatest twists in MCU history, or one of the worst, depending on who you ask (I loved it, fwiw). While Slattery has shown up in other vehicles we’ll get to in a second, Iron Man 3 establishes his character, and has a direct impact on the events of Wonder Man.
Also Good To Watch: All Hail The King
Taking place after Iron Man 3, this Marvel One-Shot was originally released on DVD, and picks up with Trevor in jail. It also shows how he broke out (or was broken out), which is also important to the plot of Wonder Man, though you don’t really need to know the specifics. However, it’s 14 minutes long, so won’t take too much time out of your day.
Only If You Have Time: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
What’s next for Trevor? He’s captured by the real Mandarin (Tony Leung) and locked in a cave. This gets referenced a few times in Wonder Man, but isn’t essential to the plot in the same way the previous two mentioned movies/shorts are. But it’s a fun movie with some great action, so well worth watching regardless.
Only If You Have Time: Spider-Man Homecoming, Spider-Man No Way Home, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
I’m lumping all of these together because they’re barely necessary, but a major driving force behind the action of Wonder Man is the Department of Damage Control. They’re basically a catch-all government agency who, honestly, keeps seeming to change purpose by the property. But they do appear in the two movies and two TV shows mentioned above.
If you are curious at all, priority is on No Way Home and Ms. Marvel, which include Arian Moayed’s Damage Control agent P. Cleary, who will again appear in Wonder Man. But all you really need to know is that they’re a government agency which is in charge of superhuman issues. There you go! Saved you a bunch of hours.
Must Watch: Midnight Cowboy
This is not a joke, by the way: the 1969 Oscar-wining Midnight Cowboy is pretty integral to the plot and themes of Wonder Man, and if you want to have a sense of what to expect, it’s well worth checking out before watching the MCU series to have a frame of reference. In fact, I might even put it above Iron Man 3.
Directed by John Schlesinger and starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, the X-rated drama features Voight as a prospective male prostitute who strikes up a partnership with a con man/pimp played by Hoffman. While not an exact one to one, the Simon Williams (Abdul-Mateen II) and Trevor Slattery relationship is modeled on Voight and Hoffman, respectively, and the movie is referenced several times throughout the series. Do yourself a favor and watch it regardless, it’s one of the greats.
All eight episodes of Wonder Man premiere Tuesday, January 27 at 9pm ET on Disney+.
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