Wonder Man, the first Marvel TV series of the year is almost here. Indeed, with Wonder Man set to be released on Disney+ on January 27 or 28 – depending on where you live – you don’t have much time left to brush up on your Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) homework.
Admittedly, you don’t have to watch a single Marvel movie or TV show to enjoy Wonder Man because it’s a largely standalone tale. However, there are some story- and character-based connections to other MCU productions, so they’re worth watching if you need a reminder of who certain people are and/or want to know what happened in the MCU prior Wonder Man. So, read on to see which films and shows you should catch before it premieres on Disney+.
Which MCU films do I need to stream before Wonder Man?
Ahead of the Marvel Phase 6 show’s arrival, there are four movies you’ll want to watch.
The first two – 2013’s Iron Man 3 and 2021’s Shang-Chi – are necessary viewing because of Trevor Slattery. A washed-up actor and former substance abuser played by British icon Ben Kingsley, he’s not only a prominent figure in the aforementioned films, but also the co-lead of Wonder Man. So, checking out these movies on Disney+, aka one of the world’s best streaming services, is necessary to better understand who Slattery is before Wonder Man is released.
As for the other two films, they’re led by Spider-Man and might be deemed vital viewing for anyone who wants more information on the Department of Damage Control (DoDC).
This US-funded government agency keeps tabs on enhanced individuals who it deems a threat to the North American superpower. The DoDC made their MCU debut in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and later appeared in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Admittedly, the DoDC has a bit-part role to play in those movies, so they’re not essential viewing if you don’t fancy sitting through nearly five hours’ of storytelling. You can probably just watch the required scenes on YouTube, too, if you can’t commit to streaming Tom Holland’s first and third standalone MCU entries.
Which Marvel TV shows should I stream ahead of Wonder Man’s launch?
Two live-action Disney+ series and a short TV movie are worth dabbling in for further context on the DoDC and Slattery.
Where the former are concerned, Ms Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law feature the DoDC. The group appear in all-but-one chapter of Ms Marvel, while they show up in episodes 3, 8, and 9 of She-Hulk‘s live-action show.
Finally, you’ll want to watch the Marvel One-Shot titled All Hail the King. One-Shots are a collection of short TV specials that the comic book giant used to make to spotlight specific MCU individuals. The Slattery-starring All Hail the King takes place between Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi, so it’s worth streaming if you’ve got 14 minutes to spare.
For more Wonder Man coverage ahead of launch, read my Wonder Man review and guide on everything we know so far about Wonder Man.
Once you’re done with those, learn more about Wonder Man‘s unusual release format from its showrunner Andrew Guest. Then, check out more from my exclusive chat with Guest by seeing which five TV comedies influenced Wonder Man and why Wonder Man might “alienate” some hardcore Marvel fans.
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