Review: ‘Wonder Man’ not your usual Marvel superhero movie — it’s better

Marvel takes an admirable risk with “Wonder Man,” an eight-episode Disney+ original series, by tabling grandiose superhero action set pieces fans love and playing up inside-baseball jokes, a la Seth Rogen’s “The Studio.”

That move might well turn off traditionalists who crave nonstop action and CGI-heavy smackdowns, but it is a refreshing change of pace to see Marvel take its brake off the gas to allow for more character-driven storytelling that is reliant on the chemistry of its two leads. Lucky for everyone involved, including showrunner Andrew Guest and co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), the pairing of former Oakland resident Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (2021’s “Candy Man” and “The Matrix Resurrections”) with Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley strikes comedic odd-couple gold.

Abdul-Matten II wins you over as anxiety-ridden, struggling actor Simon Williams, recently bounced from “American Horror Story” since he overthinks the purpose of his one lame line. He eventually catches wind of a casting call by celebrated artsy director Von Kovak (Zlatko Buric, hilarious), who’s rebooting “Wonder Man,” a kitschy superhero character and film he bonded with his dad over before he died. Simon catches wind of the “Wonder Man” movie by meeting the disgraced but refined actor Trevor Slattery (Kingsley), best known for a dubious Mandarin performance. (Kingsley played the faux terrorist in “Iron Man 3,” the short “All Hail the King” and “Shang-Chi”).

Slattery’s been coerced into spying on Simon — who possesses superpowers that come out when he’s angry — by the government’s Department of Damage Control. “Wonder Man” uses its characters and actors ever so well, giving them something worth exploring. That extends to the cameos and guest stars — in particular Josh Gad, who plays a version of himself, only more popular. The ones who makes this all work are the two leads. Kingsley is a natural-born showman and channels legendary thespian vibes with every line he delivers, while Abdul-Matten II makes you feel the neuroses rooted in the psyche of his trying-too-hard character, who feels like an imposter. The door remains open for a second season, and in the interim, I’ll miss seeing both of these characters and the actors who play them.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail,com.

‘WONDER MAN’

Adapted from Marvel Comics

3 stars out of 4

Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sir Ben Kingsley

When & where: All eight episodes available on Disney+ Jan. 27