What Is Marvel Spotlight and What Does It Mean for ‘Wonder Man’ in the MCU?

“Wonder Man” is now streaming on Disney+ and, ahead of each episode, it reminds viewers that it is under the “Marvel Spotlight” banner. But what exactly is that? Well, it actually started back in 2023.

If you have no memory of that, you’re probably not alone. The Marvel Spotlight banner has only been used once, when it was introduced with the studio’s “Echo” series, starring Alaqua Cox. “Wonder Man” marks just the second project under it, and it’s unclear whether it will be used again going forward.

When was Marvel Spotlight first introduced?

Comic fans will recognize that the television banner is actually named for an anthology comic book series first introduced in 1971. “Spotlight” is where characters like Ghost Rider and Spider-Woman were first introduced, and fans didn’t necessarily need to be familiar with other stories to enjoy them.

“Marvel Spotlight” came into play with the release of “Echo,” which set up Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) storyline for “Daredevil: Born Again.” But, the series wasn’t about him; it was about his adopted daughter, Maya Lopez.

The story took place in Oklahoma and was grittier than most of the other Marvel series to date. More importantly, it was also more street-level, which was key to the “Marvel Spotlight” designation. According to Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum, “Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen.”

So is “Wonder Man” like “Echo”?

No, not at all. The two series have wildly different tones and looks. The thing they share in common is the focus on a more character-driven story.

“Wonder Man” tells the story of Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), an actor trying to get his big break. He finds it with a reboot of “Wonder Man,” a movie he’s loved since he was a kid. The tricky thing is, Simon has superpowers, and superpowered beings aren’t allowed to be actors (for spoiler-y reasons).

“Wonder Man” doesn’t bring any Avengers-level threats, or really any major villain at all, besides the prison system and bureaucracy. It simply centers on Simon and how he works through his life trying to rein in his abilities.

Does it mean anything for Wonder Man’s future?

On its face, no. “Echo” wasn’t guaranteed a second season because it was part of Marvel Spotlight, and “Wonder Man” isn’t either (though Winderbaum has said that he hopes for one, if fans like the show).

Really, “Wonder Man” being part of Marvel Spotlight just means that you don’t need to have watched any other Marvel projects — well, except for “Iron Man 3,” but even that isn’t required — to understand what’s going on in this one. If anything, it might also indicate that we won’t see him much in the future, as this was his own, self-contained story.

Season one of “Wonder Man” is now streaming on Disney+.

The post What Is Marvel Spotlight and What Does It Mean for ‘Wonder Man’ in the MCU? appeared first on TheWrap.