The Mandarin Easter Egg You Probably Missed In Wonder Man Episode 2

This article contains spoilers for "Wonder Man" season 1.

"Wonder Man" is a more grounded take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest's eight-episode miniseries tells the story of Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a struggling actor who's trying to catch a career break while harboring a super-powered secret. Of course, any MCU series about struggling actors needs Trevor Slattery, aka the "fake" Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley), involved. He is the MCU's ultimate desperate actor, so much so that he accepts gigs that are genuinely criminal. 

There is more to Slattery's oeuvre than Mandarin, but one moment in "Wonder Man" episode 2 proves that the role will always be a part of him. The scene in question sees Williams and Slattery visit the latter's apartment, where they discuss the Mandarin actor's life and storied career. During their conversation, we see a close-up of Mandarin's glasses and rings on one of Trevor's bookshelves, which is a fun Easter egg to a character who originally terrified Marvel Studios execs ahead of "Iron Man 3" hitting theaters.

That said, the Easter egg also foreshadows the return of Mandarin in a later episode. Like Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in "The Godfather III," just when Slattery thinks he's out, he gets pulled back in. Let's dig into that.

The "Wonder Man" finale sees Trevor Slattery and Simon Williams embroiled in a sticky situation following the explosion in episode 7. The blaze was caused by Williams after he found out his friend has been working with the Department of Damage Control to prove he has superpowers. If Williams' secret gets out, his acting career is over, and he will probably lose his freedom.

To make amends, Slattery resurrects his old Mandarin persona and confesses to the crime on the news, taking the fall for Williams. The character he portrayed while working alongside terrorists in "Iron Man 3" ultimately leads to his redemption arc here, and the worst part? Slattery's old television colleague — and sort of nemesis — Joe Pantoliano (playing himself) replaces him as Barnaby in the diegetic "Wonder Man" movie. It's a case of history repeating itself, as Pantoliano stole his leading man status when they co-starred in a hospital drama years before.

It seems that the Easter egg in episode 2 was put there to tease the events of the finale, and it pays off in a dramatic way. What's more, the finale ends with Mandarin getting out of jail, making him a likely fugitive if season 2 ever happens.

"Wonder Man" is now streaming on Disney+.