It seems like my fears concerning Wonder Man succumbing to the usual habits that occur during Marvel television shows has been swayed for yet another episode. In fact, Callback finds the show not only doubling down on its minimal powers/minimal cameos stance, but finds it once again embracing it’s central theme with the intensity of a clingy lover after a short break. While these rules probably wouldn’t fly too far with just any Marvel show (Daredevil: Born Again originally took a similar track before reshoots brought it more in line with the Netflix era), the fact that the show is continuing to effortlessly bring us something that fits directly into the world of jade hued rage-monsters and web-shooting teens while not relying on any of the usual fallbacks is nothing short of miraculous.
Yes, this show about acting is still about acting, and with its 6th episode, it’s the most actorly actoring show it has ever been.
After their madcap adventure that started with Simon beating up angry drug dealers hoping to score some payback on Trevor and ended after a search for some damning footage resulted in a police standoff, the two frazzled actors discovered that the auditions for the Wonder Man reboot have been brought forward to right now. Trevor, as usual, takes things in his stride, but the far more particular Simon starts to panic as he isn’t even slightly prepared and certainly not rested.
Pulling up at the house of celebrated director Von Kovak, they discover that the auteur has selected a typically unorthodox manner to hold the final auditions. Simon and Trevor have to mix and match with other actors shortlisted for the roles of Wonder Man and Barnaby in the hope that magic will happen. But while Trevor continues to shrug off the spectre of the Mandarin and impresses all with his thespian prowess, Simon is rapidly starting to spiral as his anxiety levels start to drift into the red zone. But alarming nightmares that see him literally putting a superpowered fist through one of his rivals aside, the fact that Kovak is openly disappointed in Simon’s lack of focus makes things worse.
However, once again it’s Trevor to the rescue when a scene reading between him and Simon not only manages to save his friend, but it also successfully scores the pair that coveted role that they both want so much. However, there’s still the black cloud of the Department Of Damage Control that looms over them. Lest we forget, even though Trevor has disposed with evidence that makes Simon out as having enhanced abilities, Agent Cleary still fully intends to send Trevor back to jail if he doesn’t hold up his end of the bargin. But with stardom once again beckoning, what will Slattery do under such immense pressure – protect Simon or save himself?
If you needed an episode to stand as an example to what Wonder Man is really about, then “Callback” pretty much fills the bill. No powers, barely a single mention to the larger MCU as a whole and certainly no slick supersuit, or arch villain to provide some final episode drama are blatantly off the menu as the show valiantly forces you to forget about that comic book stuff for a bit and focus on something far more dramatic. In fact, this may be the best example yet of how Wonder Man cleverly balances its clear love of show business with the absolute hell of working in it. We’ve seen what the Hollywood bug can do to you when you’re struggling and we’ve also seen what it’s like when your loved ones don’t understand why you’ll keep clawing away to break the business when getting a real job would add so much stability to you’re existence – but episode six turns the screws on yet another aspect of acting that proves to be magical and harrowing in equal measure.
Essentially at the final hurdle, our twin guides through the cruel/wondrous world of movie making discover that Kovak wants all of his prospective Wonder Men and Barnabys to gather at his mansion and drink in the vision he has for the film. Setting them up with some Creedance Clearwater Revival to set the mood (The Midnight Special – good choice), they then all take turns in pairs to read scenes to see if they’ve got what it takes to be a leg of Kovak’s Wonder Man table. Of course, the one who struggles the most is Simon as he’s bereft of sleep and unable to rely on any his acting tricks to aid him in having a connection with the material.
His first attempt proves to be a disaster when, in a panic, he runs through a scene of Pretty Woman rather than leaning into being in the moment. Worse yet, his lack of sleep has him dozing off and providing us with a dream of him punching a hole through a rival’s head in what stands as the show’s most alarming moment by far, but it obvious to both Simon, Trevor and us that he’s blowing it spectacularly.
At this point, it’s probably a good time to tip the hat to Zlatko Burić who plays the thick- accented, Werner Herzog-ish, Kovak. He’s been having something of a run as of late as the last time we saw him, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl was dropping him from a great height during the climax of Superman. But here, he brings a large amount of complex energy to a filmmaker that does things in his own, slightly eccentric way. And yet, while other shows might cheapen their message by making Kovak the sort of monstrous caricature you’d get in the likes of Tropic Thunder or something, the episode keeps his eccentricities in check to endure that the overarching thread isn’t lost. While it seems that the MCU may have learnt its lesson from overplaying a grand standing comedy role à la Russell Crowe’s Zeus in Thor: Love And Thunder, it also helps that the show had avoided stuffing the season with oddballs, leaving Ben Kingsley free and clear to continue balancing the jokes and the pathos as Trevor.
In fact, this dedication to character over scale favorably recalls the earlier (and slightly cheaper) days of the MCU, where spot-on casting and characterization were the main selling points over the expected spectical. Watching Kingsley and Abdul-Mateen continue to ply their trade in touching double acts feels weirdly like the back and forth between Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston or Chris Evans and Haley Atwell that remains with you far longer than any of the superheroics ever did.
Yet another episode brings another low stakes, high fun plunge into Hollywood and with the triumphant news that Trevor and Simon have been selected, yet another step through the filmmaking process has been achieved. But with the DODC still looming and increasing the pressure on Trevor with every new episode, surely we’re in line for some searing, bromance heartbreak. I… I don’t think I’m ready for that, if I’m being honest.
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