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Wonder Man is filled with Marvel Comics references that even hardcore fans might have missed

The production design of Wonder Man on Disney+ has easter eggs referencing Simon Williams' time on the Avengers and much more

A still from Wonder Man
Image credit: Marvel Television

The Wonder Man show on Disney+ may have felt largely disconnected from the MCU, apart from the roles that Damage Control and Trevor Slattery played in the story - but there are subtle references within the show's production design that recall Simon Williams' history in Marvel Comics. After all, while there aren't a whole lot of big MCU characters who show up in Wonder Man, the set decoration peppers in larger ties to heavy hitters like Thor and the Avengers. 

In an interview with Variety, Wonder Man production designers Cindy Chao and Michele Yu broke down the ties to Marvel Comics hidden throughout the show. 

“His car license plate number is a reference to his comic book mutant ID number. We thought [it] would be a slam dunk of everybody catching them," said Yu. In fact, all of the numbers in the show were handpicked to reference Marvel Comics. Yu confirmed that, explaining, “Every number and address that shows up in the series was some reference to either a comic book issue number or an existing number in the MCU associated with Simon Williams or with the creators of Wonder Man." It's why Simon lives in apartment #9 on the show, referencing how he first appeared in The Avengers #9 back in 1964. 

Speaking of the Avengers, there is more. There is a reference to Doorman's time on the Great Lakes Avengers with a map of the Great Lakes in Doorman's apartment. And while we don't see our friend the Mighty Thor in Wonder Man, we do, curiously, get some advertisements for Asgard. Chao shouted out graphic designer Sarah Gonzalez, who "illustrated and put together each of the regions of what Asgard would look like, and we had a little homage to that planet in that set" that are in the background of shots set in LAX in episode 2. 

Thor, feel free to hurl a wad of Uru at my head right now, but this is a curious choice, because the planet of Asgard is notable for having exploded at the end of Thor: Ragnarok. Chao could be referring to the Nine Realms that Asgard was a part of when it still existed. This includes the planets (and realms) of Midgard (Earth), Vanaheim, Muspelheim (where the fiery Surtur is from), Nidavellir (where Thor's Stormbreaker was forged), Svartalfheim (where the Dark Elves from Thor: The Dark World are from), Jotunheim (where Loki and the rest of the Frost Giants are from), Alfheim, and Nilfheim. Sadly, with Asgard blown to rubble because of Ragnarok, the MCU is down a realm. But Wonder Man lives on.

Wonder Man Season 1 is streaming on Disney+ now. 


Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

Jules Chin Greene

Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.

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