Disney+ has started an interesting new trend. After the success of The Mandalorian, Disney wanted to continue the hype by releasing an entirely new series focused on the behind-the-scenes work. The new series was given the title Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian. Instead of a play on the name, the title is vague enough for future installments. As such, they seem to plan on continuing it with future Disney+ originals. There is a good chance that the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe entries Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision would follow also get their entries. This could be our closest look at how Marvel Studios approaches their show’s development.
The thought of getting a look at the filming of a Marvel project was exciting. Yet, I started wondering if there was something more they could do. Then, an interesting idea hit me. Why not combine the look at what happens during a Marvel Studios production and weave a story through it. I mean, we are still missing the appearance of one major Avenger. Wouldn’t Wonder Man be the perfect candidate for his own Disney+ series?
Wonder Man
Simon Williams has an interesting history in comics. His brother, Eric Williams, also known as the Grim Reaper, talked him into embezzling money from their father’s company. He was then forced by the Enchantress and Baron Zemo to infiltrate the Avengers. This resulted in him getting flushed with ion-based powers before being killed off. After being revived, he eventually joins the Avengers as Wonder Man. At some point, he became a stuntman and actor. The latter aspect is probably what the character is now most known for nowadays.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTHUafwAxXR/?utm_source=ig_embed
The character was to appear in the MCU. James Gunn hired Nathan Fillion to play Williams as a big shot actor in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. They even revealed a picture of him playing a character named Arkon from one of William’s in-universe films. Funny enough, Arkon exists within Marvel Comic’s canon. Sadly, this cameo was cut from the film. Gunn did tease that there is a future for this character at some point in the MCU. Yet, there is still no sign of the actor since he was cut from the 2017 film.
Passion Project
Simon Williams isn’t confirmed as Wonder Man yet. As far as we know, he is a renowned actor that even got to play Tony Stark in a Steve Jobs-inspired film. We got a tease of what type of films and documentaries are being produced in the MCU. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter looks through various in-flight films about Wakanda, HYDRA, and a documentary about Tony Stark. Naturally, as everyone mourns the loss of the iconic billionaire, studios weren’t going to waste this opportunity. They gathered information from various sources to make a follow-up film. Williams returns in the iconic role and his popularity skyrockets to new heights. Now, he is at the peak of his game. It is his chance to finally make a dream project a reality. In a world filled with superheroes, he wants to create his own.
He tries to get the Executives on board to produce a film titled “Wonder Man”. After much discussion, he gets them to greenlight the project. Now, the superstar has complete creative control as he sits in the director’s chair. Just to bloat his ego, he also has an entire team film their production, which is our primary set-up for the stories’ format. We follow Williams throughout his production, as he creates the superhero he always wanted to be. Inspired by Captain America, the superstar dreamed of the character when he was a kid. We slowly get to know the arrogant hero better throughout the story, as the production faces various issues. Yet, he is unaware that some of his past mistakes are coming to haunt him.
Unlikely Hero
If WandaVision is anything to go by, Disney+ will let Marvel Studios reinvent their approach to storytelling. So, why wouldn’t they give a show a try that works as a mockumentary within the MCU? It lets Marvel Studios tell a meta-story about everything necessary to get their superhero films on the silver screen. It would be fun to see Kevin Feige, Victoria Alonso, Louis D’Esposito, and the rest of Marvel Studios’ team to appear in minor cameos. We could even finally address the fact that the heroes have doppelgangers in Hollywood. It would be fun to see Chris Evans show up discussing how everyone thinks he is Captain America. Also, throughout the series, we get commentary from the crew to add some comedy. It would work as an in-universe way of using fourth-wall-breaking elements similar to The Emperor’s New Groove.
Of course, the main focus of the story is Williams. His arrogance acts as a nice parallel to Iron Man’s from the first film. He made some mistakes in his past. His fame and fortune also got him addicted to gambling. He lost his entire earnings and hoped that this film’s success would get him out of debt. He starts to learn his lesson but it may be too late. During production, they are filming a sequence in a research lab that was deserted a while back. Ignoring the A.I.M. logo hanging above, he tries to save some money for the CGI effects by using it as a backdrop. While filming in the Wonder Man costume, he accidentally gets hit by an ion blast that changes his body. He was made of pure ion energy now and was unrecognizable. Suddenly, mid-filming he loses control and ends up in a confrontation with some new Avenger recruits. He is now forced to regain his original form. He is unrecognizable to many so the superstar is on the run. All still in the same filming style of a mockumentary. We still get commentary from Williams throughout. It blends the boundaries between the film he is making and what really happened. Perfect Blue may have played some inspiration as well. There is so much potential with this concept within the MCU. It would be a perfect follow-up to WandaVisions insanity.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Instagram
