In Marvel's new production Wonder Man, an aspiring actor with hidden superpowers chases a breakout role, even as his immigrant family questions his path.
That's the plot for the new Disney+ series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, as Simon Williams, alongside Sir Ben Kingsley as his eccentric mentor, Trevor Slattery.
It's drawing praise for its character-driven storytelling and South Florida ties, including the hero’s Haitian background and a Miami native portraying his father.
Despite ongoing superhero fatigue — which the show playfully teases — Wonder Man has drawn strong reviews, holding a 90% rating on influential aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Bechir Sylvain, who was in a big screen blockbuster last year as a Haitian-French crewman in Jurassic World Rebirth, portrays Williams' Haitian deceased father. In flashbacks, the Haitian-American actor plays a supportive father, a role that reminds him of his own loving, "fun, and positive dad."
“Ooh, that's my pops all day,” Sylvain told WLRN.
READ MORE: From Miami to 'Jurassic World Rebirth': Béchir Sylvain brings Haiti to Hollywood’s biggest stage
The plot of this slow-paced show plays like a “story within a story,” giving people access to what’s like trying to land a role in Hollywood.
“It's like pulling down the curtains behind the scenes of the life of a regular superhero who wants to have a regular life,” he said.
“And also behind the scenes of how all of this magic works — the struggles and the trials and tribulations that you go through trying to get a role, so it’s educational at the same time, but extremely entertaining and relatable.”
Marvel’s Wonder Man has no connection to DC Comics’ Wonder Woman. Created in 1964 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Simon Williams and his superhero alter ego evolved from supervillain to super-strong hero, balancing crime-fighting with an inconsistent acting career.
Using dead-pan humor and character-driven storytelling, the Disney+ series puts a new spin on that setup, emphasizing Williams' personal journey and Haitian family drama, instead of his powers and traditional superhero showdowns.
Wonder Man is the latest chapter in Sylvain’s growing career, showcasing his range from blockbuster moments to intimate family dynamics.
The show’s storylines explore Haitian culture, including family pressure to pursue traditional careers such as medicine, law or engineering over the creative arts. It illustrates those nuances effectively, he said.
“A lot of times we don't really talk about how our background affects how we work in this world.” he added. "In the Haitian family, in Haitian culture, being an artist — a prominent thing — is not something they’re cheering you on for.”
