which Marvel films should you see before the Disney+ series?
Marvel is preparing to unveil its brand new creation, named Wonder Man and located in the small middle of Hollywood. If you dropped the MCU along the way, here are the films and series to watch, before discovering this (almost) superheroic story.
We now know the song very well: before diving into a new Marvel story, you generally have to sit through 30 films and 3 series to hope to understand even part of the plot. So you’re probably afraid of discovering the list of your homework to watch before you can devour Wonder Manthe latest Marvel creation for Disney+.
But we have good news for you: this excellent series, which we were able to see in preview and which will be available in full from January 28, 2026, is very accessible to beginners, as well as to those who have left the MCU ramp a long time ago.
The easy solution: you don’t need anything to devour Wonder Man
You can totally appreciate Wonder Manwithout even having seen a single second of a single Marvel movie in your entire life. And yes, life is still good. It must be said that the new Disney+ series puts superheroes in the background, to focus on a completely different subject, much less fantastic: behind the scenes of Hollywood, alongside actor Simon Williams.
The 8 episodes do not feature any important MCU protagonists and are not particularly linked to the events of the fundamental blockbusters, such as Avengers For example. So you can go there with your eyes closed (or almost, to still be able to enjoy its quality).
If you insist, we can still tell you a few words about the character of the Mandarin, as well as the Department of Damage Control, which are central in Wonder Man. The first was for a long time an actor cruelly lacking in recognition, before finding the role of his life: the Mandarin, a fake terrorist who terrified the entire planet, but who was in reality just a simple actor. He still had to serve a prison sentence, still unfinished, to answer for his (false) crimes.
As for the Department of Damage Control, it is a government department, notably responsible for cleaning up damage caused by superheroes during battles. Their main mission is to neutralize individuals potentially too dangerous for the public, and to get their hands on powerful artifacts, before they spread evil around them.
The exhaustive solution: the 4 films to see before Wonder Man sur Disney+
To find out more about the origin of the famous Mandarin or the Department of Damage Control, you can choose to delve (a little) into the MCU before discovering Wonder Man.
If this is the case, here are our recommendations, with 4 key films, which lay the foundations for this new creation. As for the series, good news: none of them are really essential to understand the plot of the latest Marvel production.
The movie Iron Man 3
This is the very first appearance of Trevor Slattery, played by Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island), on the screen. We then know him as the Mandarin, a dangerous terrorist who threatens the world, and particularly the United States. Or is this all just an illusion?
The famous criminal, supposed to be a major adversary for Tony Stark, is only an actor at the end of his career, with a serious drug addiction problem and an ironclad frankness, who was hired by the real villain ofIron Man 3. The film is available on Disney+.
The short film Long live the king
This is a short dive into Trevor Slattery’s life in prison, set after the events ofIron Man 3. The actor, now detained, is then questioned by a film crew, wishing to make a documentary about him.
A perfect immersion into the psychology of the character, in just 14 minutes, which makes the transition perfectly with another film in this guide, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. A short film to discover on Disney+.
The movie Spider-Man : Homecoming
This is where the Department of Damage Control finds its origin, in the Marvel films and more particularly in Spider-Man : Homecoming. Its goal: to operate in collaboration with the government and Stark Industries to repair the collateral damage caused by superheroes during their rescue missions, but also to stop any threat to humanity, whatever it may be. The opportunity to discover Tom Holland in the Spider-Man costume, for his first solo feature film, to watch on Disney+.
Note that the Department of Damage Control then makes its return in Spider-Man : No Way Home. Arian Moayed (Nobody Wants This) then plays the role of one of his agents, named Cleary, who will then become one of the secondary characters of the series Miss Marvelthen Wonder Man. We also learn more details about the functioning and missions of this very influential organization.
The movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
If the character of Shang-Chi appears for the first time in this film dedicated to his origins, he will still come across a face well known to MCU fans: that of Trevor Slattery. He thus finds himself entangled in spite of himself in the organization of the Ten Rings, in this film imagined by Destin Daniel Cretton, the future showrunner of Wonder Man.
To find out why and how the Mandarin found himself in this improbable situation, you will have to follow the adventures of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringson Disney+.
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Hi! I’m Renato Lopes, an electric vehicle enthusiast and the creator of this blog dedicated to the future of clean, smart, and sustainable mobility. My mission is to share accurate information, honest reviews, and practical tips about electric cars—from new EV releases and battery innovations to charging solutions and green driving habits. Whether you’re an EV owner, a curious reader, or someone planning to make the switch, this space was made for you.
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