Here's what the ending of Marvel's latest surprise gem means, and how Wonder Man sets up the future.
Marvel’s 2026 slate has kicked off with a surprising gem, bringing Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon Williams to the MCU in– both bold and creative – and it’s impressive precisely for some of the things it doesn’t do, as well as what it does.
There’s no superhero origin story , no power explainer, and lots of things are left up in the air, so there’s a fair bit to break down. Needless to say, from here on, expectis a pretty linear show focused on a pretty simple story, there is a major hint at where it could go next in the finale. And if we get to see more of Simon Williams in the MCU – especially in a continuation of his solo series – the showrunners exploring not only the true nature of his powers but also setting him on a path of conflict with the Department of Damage Control would pay off an idea introduced by Tony Stark to the MCU a decade ago.sees Simon accidentally let his powers out, destroying a hangar and drawing the DODC’s nets around him. As it seems that all is lost, Trevor Slattery releases a self-tape claiming that he is, in fact, the real Mandarin and is responsible for the attack on theset, as a strike back against Hollywood’s psychological warfare. He claims that the revelation of his “true” identity – Trevor – was all a ruse, to allow him to enact the next stage of his plan against American decadence. He is arrested, and Simon goes on to star inFame and adulation follow in a flash forward when the film is released, and maverick director Von Kovak talks about the possibility of making the sequel he said he would never make. But Simon has another priority: his next “role”, for which he prepares by shadowing a blue-collar worker. The twist ending quickly reveals that the worker is, in fact, an employee at the DODC super prison, with Simon exploiting their relationship to gain access . We then finally see him at full power, rescuing Trevor and using his ionic energy powers to literally fly out of the roof of the prison to freedom.Image Courtesy of Marvel‘s ending as Simon legitimately taking on the persona of Wonder Man as a hero. Or as a vigilante at the very least, given he takes on a government agency to free Trevor Slattery. In fact, that would make Simon a criminal, with the DODC inevitably aware of his heist and no doubt now motivated to clear up a particularly embarrassing loss. But it doesn’t actually make him “Wonder Man”: that wouldn’t really make sense, given it’s a character he plays in an in-universe movie. Notably, when he frees Trevor, he doesn’t suit up . Simon Williams, is not Wonder Man, because Wonder Man doesn’t exist. Could he become Wonder Man? Maybe, but that would be a little weird within the universe: even if the short hand for Williams will now always be that codename. More complex is his trajectory as a hero: he surely can’t go back to being an actor, at the very least, unless the DODC cover up his jail break. Perhaps there’s something to be read into Agent Cleary saying he could be a major threat “… or asset”? Could Simon be pressganged into working for the government? More on that idea soon.Simon Williams is basically another Superman-level hero in the MCU, comparable in strength and pure power to the very top tier of heroes. In the show, we get to see very little of those powers, other than confirmation that Simon can create huge energy blasts , can affect electronic devices, and can fly, as well as casually displaying Herculean strength. That’s very much a greatest hits look at what he’s capable of, and not the full extent. The honest answer to the source of Simon’s powers is we don’t yet know. In the Comics, his superpowers are gifted to him by Baron Zemo in an ionic experiment, which granted Simon super strength and invincibility. Zemo also poisoned Simon, ensuring control of his superman, who required regular doses of the antidote to keep him alive. None of that origin story is part of the MCU’s, which actually opts out of revealing how Simon got his powers. That could well be explored in the future, of course. The other possibility is that Simon is actually a mutant, which would explain the lack of a power origin. And it would fit with one-time speculation that Destin Daniel Cretton was being set up to play a creative role in the Mutant Saga. Could “Wonder Man” end up being an X-Men member rather than an Avenger?Season 2 happens, it would presumably see Simon and the DODC in full conflict over Trevor Slattery’s jailbreak. The final moments of the finale are pretty loaded in terms of that potential future: Cleary’s revelation that Simon has ionic powers sets up a path to explore his power origin, as well as his full potential, and the conflict over Trevor sets up the possibility that the DODC will actually try to recruit him. Marvel has been threatening to make a true Department of Damage Control spinoff for years. Around a decade ago, news of ashow was at its loudest, but the project died on the vine, even with Tyne Daly’s Director Anne Marie Hoag introduced in. On paper, the idea of a department cleaning up after superheroes wasn’t actually all that great, and the MCU shifted the DODC into a sort of post-investigative force. By the time they reappeared in Ms Marvel, their remit was tracking potentially dangerous superpowered individuals, operating as the last shadow of the Sokovia Accords.Season 2 and the future of the DODC. If we get to see a follow-up, it should finally show us a Damage Control vs hero conflict over a full season, rather than them playing secondary antagonists, and we already have a hint that the DODC are in the business of “hiring” superpowered assets. That could give Wonder Man someone to fight closer to his level than bumbling humans. That’s the show that should pay ofCould “Wonder Man” Become An Avenger? Logically, Simon is so powerful that he simply cannot stay under the radar of the Avengers. If we weren’t hurtling towardsthere may even have been cause for Earth’s mightiest heroes to investigate the emergence of a superpowered criminal who’d just orchestrated a prison break, but they have bigger fish to fry now.basically offers a cheat code to involve any and all heroes and villains from across the full Marvel spectrum. That gives Simon a chance to appear, but it still feels more likely that he’ll reemergence from the dust of however the MCU is left afterWonder Man’s Tribute Explained: Who Is Juan “Spike” Osorio?Stranger Things Creators’ New Netflix Series Looks Just As Creepy In These First Look ImagesGet access to exclusive stories on new releases, movies, shows, comics, anime, games and more!
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