‘Wonder Man’ Creator Explains How ‘The Matrix’ Cameo Happened

by

Disney+’s new series, Wonder Man, is proving to be a success with both audiences and critics, and Joe Pantoliano’s guest appearance is a big part of that. The show is set in 2026 within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) as he tries to win the lead role in a superhero movie remake. It’s a clever, self-aware story, bringing back Ben Kingsley as his Iron Man 3 character Trevor Slattery, and featuring Joe Pantoliano as a somewhat unhinged version of himself. The series consists of eight episodes and takes place alongside events in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Andrew Guest, known for his work on shows like Bad Boys, The Matrix, The Sopranos, Memento, and The Last of Us, recently shared with Entertainment Weekly that casting 74-year-old actor Joe Pantoliano was a highlight of working on Wonder Man. Pantoliano appears in the second episode as a former rival of Trevor’s, generously offering him the use of his mansion for a quiet space to film an audition. The show reveals that Pantoliano’s character became famous after Trevor’s character was killed off their medical drama, South Shore Hospital, and that Trevor has always blamed Pantoliano for ruining his character’s storyline. Pantoliano returns for the series finale.

According to writer and producer Nick Guest, who has also worked on shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Community, the team didn’t initially write the role with a particular actor in mind. However, once they cast someone, they really enjoyed customizing the part to fit that actor’s strengths.

We had a list of incredibly talented character actors – people who might not be famous, but are highly respected at Marvel. We all really loved and appreciated so many of them. Joey was simply the best of the bunch, and we contacted him first.

What’s great about him is his deep knowledge and passion for acting and Hollywood. He’s a published author and can talk for hours about the craft, his career, and what drew him to the industry. We included all of that in the script, and it really shines.

Will ‘Wonder Man’ Get a Season 2?


Warner Bros.

Andrew Guest recently spoke with MovieWeb about the possibility of continuing his Marvel show, Wonder Man. While the series was originally planned as a single season, its future now depends on how fans react.

The future of the series really depends on how viewers react to it. When we made the show, we aimed to create something that could continue if people wanted, but also feel complete on its own. Ultimately, if there’s enough demand from fans for more stories with Simon and Trevor, I believe we’ll get them.

Both Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley have expressed interest in returning if the show were to continue. However, as of now, Marvel Television hasn’t confirmed anything about new episodes. Don’t expect an official announcement anytime soon, as Marvel’s television department has changed its strategy quite a bit in the last two years.

Read More

2026-01-28 18:37