Disney+ Makes MCU History With Wonder Man Villain

Marvel Studios recently changed a long-held practice regarding its villains in the new Disney+ series, Wonder Man, which began streaming on January 27th. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Simon Williams, an actor hoping to land the main role in a movie about Wonder Man – all while secretly having superpowers. His main opponent is Agent P. Cleary, played by Arian Moayed, who viewers may recognize from Spider-Man: No Way Home and Ms. Marvel. Cleary works for the Department of Damage Control (DODC).

Marvel Studios revealed through SFX Magazine that Cleary and the Department of Damage Control will be the primary antagonists in the series. According to showrunner Andrew Guest, the creators intentionally aimed to keep the plot straightforward, prioritizing the narrative of Val Williams and Trevor Slattery rather than overwhelming viewers with complex backstory.

Throughout the show, Cleary brings in Slattery (Ben Kingsley) to secretly watch Williams, who the Department of Defense considers a major danger. Cleary pressures Slattery into helping by threatening to reveal his past as the fake Mandarin and send him to prison. The villain is trying to capture Williams before he can unlock his full potential.

The season finale of Wonder Man sees Cleary successfully capture Williams, who later manages to free Slattery from DODC holding by dramatically breaking through the roof. However, throughout the entire eight-episode run, Cleary avoids any physical confrontation, never throwing a punch or fighting with Williams, Slattery, or anyone else.

For the first time in a live-action Marvel Studios series, the primary villain didn’t participate in any physical fights. All previous series included at least one face-to-face battle between the hero and the villain, but this series broke that pattern.

Cleary is notable for being the first villain in a live-action series without any superpowers. While Kingpin from Echo and Daredevil: Born Again also lacks powers, he’s incredibly strong and physically imposing – qualities Cleary doesn’t share. Essentially, Cleary relies on cunning and manipulation, not physical strength.

Other Non-Powered Villains Featured in the MCU

Justin Hammer

In Iron Man 2, Sam Rockwell played Justin Hammer, a resentful competitor to Tony Stark. Hammer runs Hammer Industries, a company that provides weapons to the military. Rockwell made the character stand out, even though Hammer has no superpowers, by portraying him as a less intelligent and charismatic version of Tony Stark. He helps Ivan Vanko escape from prison and tries to copy Iron Man’s technology to become successful and famous.

Hammer’s lack of ability ultimately leads to his ruin when Vanko turns against him at the Stark Expo, using drones to harm innocent people. Following the attack, Hammer is arrested by the FBI, but his company remains active behind the scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He makes a short appearance in the short film All Hail the King, where he’s shown in Seagate Prison and meets Trevor Slattery.

Alexander Pierce

Let me tell you, Robert Redford absolutely kills it as Alexander Pierce in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He plays this seemingly benevolent secretary of the World Security Council, a friend of Nick Fury, but slowly reveals himself to be the mastermind behind a deeply embedded HYDRA cell within SHIELD. Redford brings such weight and authority to the role – you completely believe he’s a man who operates at the very top of the political food chain. He’s the architect of this terrifying plan, Project Insight, which basically involves pre-emptive murder on a massive scale using these helicarriers. What’s truly chilling is how long Pierce has been playing the game, quietly building trust and manipulating events for decades to further HYDRA’s sinister goals. He’s the ultimate spy, and Redford embodies that perfectly.

Despite appearing calm and collected, Alexander Pierce is ruthless and willing to eliminate anyone who opposes him, even those close to him. After Captain America reveals his scheme and stops the launch of Project Insight, Nick Fury is forced to kill him. Pierce stands out as a believable villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, demonstrating how deeply rooted corruption can threaten everything from the inside.

Baron Zemo

Daniel Brühl’s portrayal of Baron Zemo demonstrates how a normal human can defeat the Avengers with meticulous planning, as seen in both Captain America: Civil War and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Driven by the death of his family in the Battle of Sokovia, Zemo expertly manipulates events and exploits the Winter Soldier’s conditioning to divide the team. He cleverly sets up Bucky Barnes to be blamed for a UN bombing, anticipating that this would draw out both Captain America’s protective nature and Iron Man’s pursuit of justice.

The most impactful moment comes when it’s revealed that the Winter Soldier was responsible for the death of Tony Stark’s parents, which leads to a battle among the Avengers as Zemo observes. Later, in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Zemo continues his mission to eliminate super-soldiers, even while imprisoned. The series also features his iconic purple mask from the comics, but he still relies on psychological manipulation and strategic planning rather than brute force.

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

Julia Louis-Dreyfus first appeared as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, although she was initially planned to debut in Black Widow. She recruits John Walker after he loses the title of Captain America, offering him a new role as the US Agent and purchasing his self-made shield. Valentina is a mysterious figure who seems to operate with hidden power, handing out business cards without contact details and hinting at secret plans.

She warns Walker that strange events are unfolding, foreshadowing the bigger plot that develops in Thunderbolts. The show portrays her as someone who wields influence outside of official systems, skillfully using her charisma and exploiting people’s weaknesses to get what she wants.

Eleanor Bishop

In the Disney+ series Hawkeye, Vera Farmiga portrays Eleanor Bishop, a seemingly successful businesswoman who owns Bishop Security. However, she’s secretly working with Kingpin and hires Yelena Belova to target Clint Barton. Eleanor becomes a key villain in the show, motivated by protecting her family’s wealth and her daughter, Kate, from the repercussions of her dealings with criminals. She began working with Kingpin after her husband, Derek, passed away, leaving the family financially vulnerable and entangled in dangerous connections.

Tyler Hayward

In the Disney+ series WandaVision, Josh Stamberg portrays Tyler Hayward, the temporary head of SWORD. Hayward is a government official who isn’t afraid to take drastic measures when he believes there’s a danger. He rebuilds Vision as a powerful, new being called White Vision, using technology recovered from the battle in Wakanda. Hayward then falsely accuses Wanda Maximoff of bringing Vision back to life and orders an attack on her and her family within the strange reality of Westview.

Hayward’s actions are rooted in his experiences during the Blip, a time when he became increasingly worried about the growing power of people with enhanced abilities. While he does try to shoot Billy and Tommy Maximoff, he’s mostly a behind-the-scenes player, using manipulation and administration rather than direct force.

He intentionally leaves Monica Rambeau uninformed and deceives his bosses about Wanda taking control of Vision’s body. Once the events in Westview are over, the FBI arrests him for his actions.

Baron von Strucker

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thomas Kretschmann plays Baron von Strucker, who is in charge of HYDRA’s experiments using the Mind Stone. These experiments illegally give Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver their powers. The movie opens with the Avengers attacking Strucker’s research base in Sokovia, and he briefly appears during this scene. After a short fight where he tries to use a HYDRA weapon but can’t, Strucker surrenders to Captain America.

He conducted experiments on people who had suffered through war, but only the Maximoff twins lived through it. Ultron kills him in his cell at the beginning of the movie, writing “PEACE” on the wall with his blood. This makes his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe disappointing, even though he’s a major character in the comics and one of the original founders of HYDRA.

2026-02-04 07:37