A Golden Age Marvel character returns an impressive eighty-four years after their debut, and only true comic book fans will appreciate it. Twenty years ago, it would have been unthinkable to consider the live-action introduction of many Marvel characters who have become MCU staples. Now, seeing obscure figures such as Headpool and MODOK is now par for the course.

Although Marvel Studios has cut down on its output of Disney+ shows that place the spotlight on lesser-known characters like Werewolf by Night and She-Hulk: Attorney At Law‘s Wrecking Crew, Destin Daniel Cretton’s Wonder Man survived to make Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery beloved MCU characters. Wonder Man also takes the time to introduce deep cuts like Doorman and Eric Williams a.k.a. the Grim Reaper.

Parallel to the MCU, Wonder Man is also helping other Marvel characters return to the spotlight in the comics.

Wonder Man Brings Back Golden Age Marvel Character Ziggy Pig

Wonder Man #1; Written by Gerry Duggan; Art by Mark Buckingham, Aure Jimenez, and Rachelle Rosenberg

Simon Williams’ return in 2026’s Wonder Man #1 features an appearance by Randolph Chancellor, Simon’s old friend and former prison mate who also joined Hollywood. Unfortunately, Randolph doesn’t have Simon’s star power, and he’s more prone to falling back on his criminal ways. Still, Randolph Chancellor manages to make a living playing the voice of classic comic book and cartoon characters Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal, plus pursuing roles such as the main antagonist in an in-universe Darkhawk movie.

Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal were created by Al Jaffee and Stan Lee for Marvel’s predecessor Timely Comics in 1943, serving as the company’s comedic caricature duo throughout the 1940s and 1950s. In-universe, Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal have been cleverly retrofitted as fictional characters within Marvel continuity as vintage cartoons or comic books that Peter Parker or Franklin Richards might have enjoyed as children. Before Wonder Man, both had an overlooked resurgence in the 2022 Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal: Infinity Antics miniseries that revealed that their cartoon adventures are actually broadcast across the galaxy.

Wonder Man Is A Gateway To A Hidden World Of Marvel Characters & Lore

The Marvel Universe Has An Entire Entertainment Industry We Barely Know

Simon Williams’ career as an actor and stuntman provides a look into a fictional Hollywood that has to account for the existence of real-life gods and monsters. In a world where an alien invasion happens every week, the entertainment industry would naturally have to evolve into a hyper-stylized version of our own. Disaster movies could serve as coping mechanisms and reality shows that track the daily lives of retired superhumans would be in vogue. Marvel has only scratched the surface of this fictional media’s untapped lore.

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70 Wonder Man Easter Eggs And References: Mandarin, Avengers, Real-Life Actors, And More

Marvel’s Wonder Man series is lots of fun, featuring a collection of Easter eggs, references, cameos, and cool ties to both the comics and wider MCU.

There’s only a handful of Marvel characters immersed in their universe’s pop culture. Wonder Man and Mary Jane Watson are perhaps the most famous Marvel actors, while Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat veteran and pop stars Dazzler and Luna Snow devote their careers to the arts in between their crime-fighting activities. But for every Captain America speech, there should be a dozen unauthorized Broadway musicals about his life, and for every Kree-Skrull war, there should be a niche genre of sci-fi artwork created by humans who have actually seen the Andromeda Galaxy.

This in-universe pop culture would likely be filled with Captain America movies, documentaries investigating the secret history of SHIELD and Hydra, and avant-garde theatrical plays that attempt to deconstruct the Avengers. The comics often overlook the vibrant, messy, and bizarre media landscape that would inevitably sprout in the shadow of the super-powered community, and characters like Wonder Man show a glimpse at it every once in a while.

Did you know Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal before Wonder Man #1?

Wonder Man #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.

Wonder Man

Release Date

2026 – 2026-00-00

Network

Disney+

Directors

James Ponsoldt, Stella Meghie

Writers

Andrew Guest, Madeline Walter, Paul Welsh, Zeke Nicholson, Roja Gashtili, Julia Lerman

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  Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

  Simon Williams / Wonder Man

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  Arian Moayed

  Agent Cleary