Yahya Abdul-Mateen II On Anxiety, & Marvel’s Wonder Man

All eight episodes of Wonder Man drop on Disney+ today and in the Marvel series, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Simon, a struggling actor who just wants to be seen for his craft, not the anger-induced superpowers he’s desperately trying to hide and has no idea what to do with. You may think you’re getting an origin story for one of Marvel’s most underrated superheroes, but as its eight episodes unfold, Wonder Man quietly transforms into one of the most honest portrayals of anxiety I’ve seen in a superhero show, maybe in any show. Simon’s overthinking, his paralysis in the face of opportunity, his fear that one misstep will cost him everything hit so close to home. Created by Destin Daniel Cretton (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) and Andrew Guest (who has written for “Community” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Wonder Man is a slow burn meditation on Hollywood, ambition, and who gets to be a hero. And after all these years of oversaturation accusations and critiques that superhero projects have nothing more to offer, this is the MCU at its best and most original.