‘Wonder Man’ Ads Go All In on Hating Superpowers

The days are counting down to Wonder Man, Marvel’s latest TV series. Unlike most MCU shows, this one takes place on the West Coast in Hollywood, something the marketing’s determined to never let you forget—and if anything, it seems Marvel wants you to keep that in mind for not just this show, but future projects.

After a new trailer dropped on New Year’s, the show’s social media accounts have been hitting hard the idea that Hollywood’s taking a stand against enhanced individuals. “All super powers are now banned in Hollywood,” reads one ad, which says actors auditioning for the in-universe “Wonder Man” film will have to sign a “Doorman waiver” to confirm they’re unpowered. The waiver was born of the similarly named “Doorman clause,” whose details we’ll likely find out at some point during the show’s run and the events of which seemingly led to the aforementioned ban.

Super powers are no longer allowed on Hollywood sets.

Actors auditioning for the role of ‘Wonder Man’ must sign a Doorman waiver. pic.twitter.com/cQwDnyH6el

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) January 2, 2026

On one hand, these ads do a good job of further fleshing out the MCU and through an interesting lens: since we know how the average Joe feels about the Avengers or Daredevil, what would the upper class feel about them, particularly entertainers? Is a major star like George Clooney glad that Iron Man’s dead? Are there big directors that would kill for the chance to make a film with a New Avenger or She-Hulk? The Hollywood framing also nods to Simon’s (Yahya Abdul-Matteen II) comic book history as an actor and stuntman and gives him a good conflict: if anyone finds out he’s got powers, he’ll get blacklisted from the industry.

And that leads to the second thing this marketing is doing. In the comics, Doorman is DeMaar Davis, a man with teleportation and intangibility powers who first debuted in 1989’s West Coast Avengers #46. Doorman will be portrayed in the Wonder Man show by Byron Bowers, and the character was created by John Byrne, who famously worked on the X-Men and co-created several of its biggest characters and storylines. Wonder Man himself is also linked to the X-Men via Beast, since the two are famously friends after they were both in the Avengers together.

EXCLUSIVE: Actors must certify they have no super powers under Hollywood’s new ‘Doorman’ policy.

PLUS: Wonder Man casting now underway. Who will be Von Kovak’s breakout star? pic.twitter.com/NoRtzFKeOX

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) January 2, 2026

We know the mutants are coming, and that Wonder Man is bringing in Damage Control to give Simon another threat to deal with. Does this mean whatever he does or chaos he causes spurs Damage Control or other interested parties to hate superpowered people enough to create Sentinels or other anti-mutant threats? We’ll see after Wonder Man premieres January 27 on Disney+.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.