The upcoming Wonder Man series is bringing back a surprising face from Marvel’s past. Ben Kingsley is returning as Trevor Slattery, the eccentric actor whose MCU journey has been anything but ordinary. From posing as a global terrorist to becoming a court jester for an ancient warlord, Slattery’s path now leads him back to Hollywood in a story that promises to explore his bizarre biography in depth.
Who is Trevor Slattery? From “Mandarin” to Marvel Misfit
Trevor Slattery first appeared in 2013’s Iron Man 3, introduced as the fearsome terrorist leader known as the Mandarin. In a major plot twist, it was revealed that Slattery was not a real supervillain. He was a struggling, out-of-work actor hired by Aldrich Killian and his organization A.I.M. to play a part. They created the Mandarin persona as a cover for their illegal Extremis experiments, and Slattery performed in propaganda videos, completely unaware of the real crimes he was helping to hide.
The character’s reveal was one of the most talked-about moments in the MCU. While some fans of the comics were disappointed by the change to the classic villain, others saw it as a clever way to update the story and avoid outdated stereotypes. Following his arrest, Slattery’s story continued in the Marvel One-Shot short film All Hail the King. This story showed that the real Mandarin and his Ten Rings organization were not happy that Slattery had impersonated their leader.
Slattery’s most recent appearance was in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). Instead of being executed by the Ten Rings, he was spared by the real leader, Xu Wenwu. Wenwu found Slattery amusing and kept him as a “court jester” in his compound. There, a sobered-up Slattery befriended a mystical creature named Morris and eventually helped Shang-Chi and his friends escape to the mythical land of Ta Lo.
Slattery’s Major Comeback in the Wonder Man Series
In Wonder Man, Trevor Slattery is getting his most significant role yet. Ben Kingsley has described the series as a “real biography” or “biopic” of the character. The show will explore Slattery’s life both before and after he took the role of the Mandarin, filling in gaps in his strange history.
The series premise finds Slattery returning to Hollywood after his ordeals. As Kingsley explained, his character is back “to give his career a second chance and to prove to his dear motherโฆ that he was truly the actor his mom always hoped he would be”. His path crosses with Simon Williams (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), an aspiring actor who learns that a legendary director is remaking a superhero film called Wonder Man. Both actors desperately pursue roles in the film, leading to an unexpected partnership.
However, this friendship may come with a cost. Kingsley has hinted that Slattery’s ambitions will create a moral conflict. He sees Simon as a friend but also as someone he “can absolutely exploit” to achieve his own goals. The actor teased that Slattery is “faced with a terrible dilemma: he can reach his ambition, but it’s at a terrible cost”.
Ben Kingsley stated: “I love revisiting Trevor โ there’s so many layers to him. [This] series does see Trevor before he got the role of Mandarin, and then of course after, so it’s a real biography”.
Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum has noted that Slattery’s inclusion gives the series a “trilogy feeling,” completing an arc that began with Iron Man 3 and continued in Shang-Chi.
Wonder Man Series Release Info and Full Episode Schedule
Wonder Man is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on January 27, 2026. In a departure from the weekly release model for some series, all eight episodes of Wonder Man will be released at once for binge-watching. The series is part of Phase Six of the MCU and will be released under the “Marvel Spotlight” banner, which typically focuses on more grounded, character-driven stories.
The series was created by Destin Daniel Cretton (director of Shang-Chi) and Andrew Guest, who also serves as the showrunner. The directorial team includes Cretton, James Ponsoldt, Tiffany Johnson, and Stella Meghie.
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Below is the full episode schedule for the series:
- Episodes 1 & 2: Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, written by Andrew Guest. Releases January 27, 2026.
- Episodes 3 & 4: Directed by James Ponsoldt, written by Paul Welsh & Madeline Walter (Episode 3) and Zeke Nicholson (Episode 4). Releases January 27, 2026.
- Episodes 5 & 6: Directed by Tiffany Johnson, written by Anayat Fakhraie (Episode 5) and Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman and Andrew Guest (Episode 6). Releases January 27, 2026.
- Episodes 7 & 8: Directed by Stella Meghie, written by Kira Talise and Andrew Guest (Episode 7) and Andrew Guest (Episode 8). Releases January 27, 2026.
The main cast includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams/Wonder Man and Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery. They are joined by Ed Harris as Simon’s agent, Neal Saroyan, and Demetrius Grosse as Simon’s brother, Eric Williams/The Grim Reaper. The series also features Zlatko Buriฤ as the celebrated director Von Kovak and Arian Moayed as a Department of Damage Control agent named P. Cleary.
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