Wonder Man boss offers first update on season 2 production [exclusive]

Five years after he entered the MCU with his last film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, life has been busy for Destin Daniel Cretton. In two weeks, he'll be back in the Marvel spotlight with the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the long-awaited return of Tom Holland's web-slinger that will follow up on the fateful ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Outside of superheroes, his live-action Naruto adaptation is also heating up at Netflix as it searches for its would-be ninjas. Meanwhile, on the small screen, his most anticipated project is easily the second season of Wonder Man, which received a renewal back in March after becoming one of the most acclaimed MCU series in a while.

Co-created by Cretton and showrunner Andrew Guest, Wonder Man was a breath of fresh air, taking the focus off the wider Marvel world to follow the Hollywood story of Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a man with superpowers trying to land the coveted lead role of the in-universe remake of Wonder Man. So well-received was his journey that Mateen earned the first acting Emmy nomination for the MCU since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and is now set to return, alongside Ben Kingsley as Williams' surprising new friend Trevor Slattery. What comes next for the duo, however, is uncertain. The finale wrapped up with a heartfelt, if complicated note as, after the movie premiered, Simon shadowed a security guard at the Department of Damage Control and used the opportunity to break Trevor out of prison, returning his sacrifice by throwing away his own career for friendship.

Whatever the next chapter is for these two, as the DoDC mobilizes to find them, it's expected to begin filming soon. In an interview with Collider's Steve Weintraub, Cretton was asked about the status of Wonder Man Season 2 and, more specifically, if cameras could begin rolling this year. He didn't assure anything, but he did tease, "I hope so. We'll leave it at that." If production does pick up before the end of 2026, the superhero comedy could be on pace for a quicker turnaround, if not quite as fast as something like Daredevil: Born Again. That would still be a welcome change of pace in a streaming era where shows can take well over two years at times to return.

'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Will Be a Massive Return to Theaters for Cretton

In the meantime, Cretton will look to go three-for-three with MCU successes with Brand New Day on July 31. Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, the film picks up four years after all memory of Peter Parker was wiped from the world by Doctor Strange's spell. Living on his own, he's anonymously continued his work as Spider-Man, separate from MJ (Zendaya), Ned (Jacob Batalon), and all the friends and allies who have helped him as he came into his own as a hero. When his powers start going haywire and a mysterious new foe emerges, he seeks help to protect those he cares about and learn the nature of the potentially dangerous evolution his abilities are going through.

On top of being the return of Spider-Man on the big screen, Brand New Day's cast has been a big part of the excitement. The flick will mark the theatrical debut of Jon Bernthal's Punisher in a team-up that Holland told Collider was "one of my favorite aspects of this new film." Also returning are Zendaya and Batalon, alongside Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, who will help Peter understand the changes in his body, Michael Mando as Scorpion, and, in his live-action debut after playing the character in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Marvin Jones III as Tombstone. Newcomers, meanwhile, will include Tramell Tillman, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Sadie Sink in a role that has been the source of endless speculation.

There is no release date yet for Wonder Man. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on all the projects Cretton is cooking up within the MCU or outside of it.