Marvel Studios and Disney Plus are two brands commonly associated with each other. It's been that way ever since WandaVision premiered in 2021 and turned the Marvel Cinematic Universe upside down, officially adding high-concept MCU-set shows to the franchise's ever-growing library of titles. And since then, the studio has been delivering multiple TV shows a year.
Over the years, there have been highs and lows, with bangers like Agatha All Along, Loki and Daredevil: Born Again making up for uncharacteristic defeats like Secret Invasion. And now, in a move that caught fans off-guard, Marvel has made its most recent Disney Plus show available to stream for free.
Marvel makes Wonder Man premiere episode available to stream on YouTube
Marvel Studios has officially widened Wonder Man's audience. The juggernaut has uploaded the first episode of the most recent Disney Plus series onto the platform, allowing non-subscribers to tune in and see what they think. No spoilers but something tells us that they are going to like it.
Wonder Man premiered on Disney Plus back in January and it very quickly earned critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts an incredible "fresh" rating of 91% from critics. It also sports an impressive 87% on the Popcornmeter, proving that fans were very receptive to the series as well. In fact, it is now one of Marvel's best-received Disney Plus shows.
You can watch the season premiere episode here:
Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, it served as the MCU origin story for Simon Williams, a struggling actor who secretly has superpowers in an industry that doesn't allow you to perform if you have them. He comes across Trevor Slattery, with MCU veteran and Hollywood legend Sir Ben Kingsley reprising his role from Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi And The Legend of the Ten Rings, who offers to take him under his wing. The two develop an unlikely, moving bond.
That bond resonated with audiences who tuned into the series when it premiered on Disney Plus. And it made history when it did that as only the second-ever live-action Marvel show to release all of its episodes at once. Yep, all eight of them arrived at the same time, just as Echo's five did in 2024. Considering that both of those shows are part of the MCU's Marvel Spotlight umbrella, this isn't too surprising at all.
It's unclear right now as to whether Wonder Man could return for a second season. Although it was designed by Marvel Studios during the miniseries era, the return of the Marvel Television arm is primarily focused on producing ongoing TV content capable of delivering multiple seasons. If Wonder Man performed well for Disney Plus, there's a chance it could fit that bill and obtain a renewal. Showrunner Andrew Guest agrees, telling MovieWeb in an interview that "if there's an audience and a fan base that clamors for more Simon and Trevor, I think we'll get more of both of them."
In terms of viewership, Wonder Man's binge-release format actually allowed it to break into the Nielsen streaming originals Top 10 chart, debuting at No. 8 with 618 million minutes watched. That's an impressive accomplishment as the two previous MCU shows - Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart - didn't manage that. Unfortunately, the show fell off the Top 10 the very next week, making its overall viewership numbers harder to gauge.
Perhaps by releasing the first episode of Wonder Man for free, Marvel can convince some new viewers to subscribe to Disney Plus to finish the series. And it goes without saying, anything that could lead to more Wonder Man is a great idea!