The pain and embarrassment that accompany an extremely long period of unemployment come through clearly in the performance of Yahya Abdul Mateen-II in the latest Marvel show, Wonder Man (streaming on Disney+ and JioHotstar). That's not the only reason why it works. I had expected something at least different, if not special, from this eight-episode series with each episode of nearly 30-min duration. But what I saw far exceeded my basic expectations.
I knew Wonder Man was going to be special the minute I saw Yahya and Ben Kingsley meeting for the first time at a movie theatre showing the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. This movie came out at a time when a new wave of filmmakers were keen on pushing boundaries — at the risk of even earning an 'X' rating! It's one of my favourite movies. It was unlike anything I've seen up to that point. A masterclass in every department. It's also one of the saddest friendship dramas I've seen.
So I did not expect a Marvel show, of all things, to use the template (and the memorable Harry Nilsson song) from the John Schlesinger film — and some of the greatest films revolving around buddies and aspiring actors — to tell a deeply moving story without, of course, being tragic. There is, however, a small tragic sub-plot involving a third character which contributes to the tension and challenges juggled by its protagonist Simon Williams. I also didn't expect to Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery, known for his Mandarin charade in Iron Man 3, to get a strong leading presence that evokes the best performances of Dustin Hoffman from not just Midnight Cowboy, but also from Tootsie and Rain Man. Tootsie told a story of a man who pretends to be a woman to get an acting opportunity. Rain Man was a tale of an autistic man (Hoffman) and his bond with his brother (Tom Cruise).
Wonder Man, the show, shares some qualities with the above films. Trevor is a guide for an outsider like Simon, just as Hoffman's character was in Midnight Cowboy. Simon has been trying to get his first big acting gig for a decade. He and Trevor both have something in common with Tootsie, even though the latter is already something of a pro and well-known — for the right and wrong reasons. And while Wonder Man doesn't have an autistic character, Simon is revealed to possess some... abilities that could interfere badly with this dream career.
But this is a show whose focus is more on the characters, their humanity, their struggles, their flaws, their contradictions — everything that makes someone human — more than the action spectacle. We do get a small glimpse, however, of what Simon is capable of, but when you have a character with a certain "condition" who fears that he might find it difficult to go out into the world and function normally because of it, isn't that more relatable than any of the superheroes blessed with enviable superpowers from which they have more to gain than lose?
And Yahya's performance — an impressive display of vulnerability, desperation, hope, ambition, and anxiety (lots of it!) — is incredible in a way that makes one forget that he also played the baddie in Aquaman. Wonder Man is the best thing he has done since Watchmen (the series). It's also another reminder of the versatile genius that's Ben Kingsley. If I were to rank the Top 3 roles of Kingsley, I would place this one alongside what he did in Schindler's List and Sexy Beast.
Not that any of the Avengers or the Fantastic Four or the X-Men are free of problems and inner turmoil, but Simon feels more human than the rest of them. Perhaps we might get to see the more superhero side — the one that doesn't have to hide anymore — down the line, but Wonder Man is unlike anything Marvel has done before. It's to Yahya Abdul Mateen-II and Ben Kingsley what Midnight Run was to Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. It feels genuine, therapeutic, and has immense repeat value.
