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Marvel's Wonder Man, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is a metatextual tragicomedy
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
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- Wonder Man was shaped by its co-creator's work on three other comedy shows
- Andrew Guest says writing for those projects influenced how he wrote the Disney+ series' scripts
- The Marvel TV Original will be released in late January
Wonder Man's head writer has revealed how his work on three other comedy shows informed Marvel's latest TV project.
Ahead of the Disney+ show's launch on January 27/28, I sat down for an exclusive chat with Andrew Guest to dig into the making of the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) production of 2026. And, as part of our wide-ranging interview, Guest explained how his time writing for similar genre fare helped him shape Wonder Man's character-driven narrative.
Prior to working on Wonder Man and other MCU projects – Guest was a consulting producer on the 2021 TV series Hawkeye and an uncredited writer on last year's The Fantastic Four: First Steps – he penned scripts for some of the best TV comedies of the last 20 years.
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Indeed, from writing the 'Succession' episode of classic comedy 30 Rock to recent sitcoms Community, Suburgatory, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Guest's CV reads like a who's who of critically acclaimed and popular laugh-a-minute projects.
Having dabbled in various TV comedies over the past two decades, Guest was well-placed to determine what Wonder Man's primary focus should be. Armed with two incredibly talented actors, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley, Guest said it was clear from the outset that the Marvel Phase 6 TV show should favor a character-led story over a jokes- or plot-driven narrative.
"When it comes to writing comedy for TV, you're constantly sort of balancing three things: the jokes, the characters, and the story," he said.
"I've worked on shows with some incredible showrunners. In the 30 Rock writers' room, when it came to Tina Fey and Robert Carlock running a show, the jokes won. It didn't matter if it wasn't quite right for the character or didn't help the story. It made us laugh. It was going to go in the show, and you could tell in the show that that's the result of that.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Wonder Man's co-creator has had his say on how fans might react to Marvel's next Disney+ TV series. https://t.co/SmogBWxcTAJanuary 23, 2026
"When I worked with Dan Harmon on Community, he was a story guy," Guest continued. "Every story came first. He loves a story circle. He loves Joseph Campbell [author of 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces'], and that was really interesting to watch somebody put that first and foremost.
"And, having worked at Brooklyn Nine-Nine with Dan Goor, that's a character-focused show. That's all lineage from The Office – Greg Daniels was a mentor to Mike Schur, who went on to do Parks and Rec, and Mike worked with Dan Goor creating Brooklyn Nine-Nine. They took a lot of lessons from that.
"I'm somebody who believes you need to balance all three, but character comes first when it comes to television," Guest added. "That's what people come back to every week. You need somebody that you care about, and I think if you care about a character and you're invested in the story, that even helps the comedy. You're more likely to laugh with relief or concern, or whatever the absurdity of the moment is."
Before Wonder Man makes its debut on one of the world's best streaming services, read my Wonder Man review to see if it's any good. Then, check out my guide on everything we know so far about Wonder Man.
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Tom PowerSocial Links NavigationSenior Entertainment ReporterAs TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
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