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A man went to La Perla, a rooftop bar located at the Plaza Hotel in El Paso, Texas. Then the waitress treated him and his wife with hostility, which he concluded was racial profiling.
United States veteran Isaac Castillo (@steo619) and his wife first noticed that they were being treated differently when a waitress at the hotel ignored them repeatedly. They went to the hotel’s restaurant to celebrate their anniversary and his birthday, making it a special occasion for the couple. But, they ended up waiting 20-30 minutes just to get noticed by the staff there.
A man went to La Perla, a rooftop bar located at the Plaza Hotel in El Paso, Texas. Then the waitress treated him and his wife with hostility, which he concluded was racial profiling.
United States veteran Isaac Castillo (@steo619) and his wife first noticed that they were being treated differently when a waitress at the hotel ignored them repeatedly. They went to the hotel’s restaurant to celebrate their anniversary and his birthday, making it a special occasion for the couple. But, they ended up waiting 20-30 minutes just to get noticed by the staff there.
Marvel’s latest superhero series, Wonder Man, further proves that audiences can be entertained by characters, not just constant action scenes. Since it hasn’t been announced, fans are left wondering when or where Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) will turn up next.
To hold ourselves over until their next appearance, here are some Wonder Man-esque titles to check out.
Unstable Superheroes
Legion (2017–19)
Created by Noah Hawley (Fargo), FX’s Legion is another character-driven Marvel show with very few fight sequences (most fight scenes are mental battles, sometimes accompanied by a little song and dance).
While Simon Williams hasn’t officially been labeled a mutant, he shares a lot in common with David Haller (Dan Stevens), the omega-level mutant who doesn’t know he’s the son of telepath Charles Xavier, aka Professor X. Growing up estranged from his birth father and later diagnosed with schizophrenia, David grew up not understanding his psionic abilities. The instability of his explosive, emotionally-triggered powers makes him a danger to everyone around him.
Legion is more of a psychedelic story about mental illness. But if you’re looking for another series centered on a destructive, super-powered character, then Legion is the show for you.
Where to watch: Hulu
Watchmen (2019)
If you’ve read the DC Comics series or watched its 2009 film adaptation, you already know that Watchmen is very bleak. Damon Lindelof’s (Lost, Lanterns) take on the popular IP keeps that same tone for his 2019 miniseries, and includes even more tragic, real-life events, like the 1921 Tulsa race massacre.
Regina King leads the series as Tulsa Police detective Angela Abar, aka Sister Night. In this world, the police have to hide behind masks for safety, a necessary move due to the white supremacist group called the Seventh Kavalry that murdered countless officers who protected minorities and their access to reparations.
The series also stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Angela’s husband, Cal. Most fans probably already know his true identity, but for the sake of being spoiler-free, I won’t reveal it.
Watchmen explores extremism and racial injustice, which is obviously much darker than Wonder Man. While it doesn’t have that whimsical feel of a Marvel show (this is DC, after all), Watchmen is a bold series with a phenomenal cast that will have you hooked for its nine episodes. Watch, or revisit, the 2009 movie while you’re at it!
Where to watch: HBO Max
Surreal + Existential
Black Mirror (2011-)
Netflix’s anthology series Black Mirror isn’t about comic book characters. But several episodes have similar subject matter and vibes, like Season 4’s sci-fi-centric “USS Callister,” and the seventh season follow-up, “USS Callister: Into Infinity.”
Speaking of highly immersive virtual reality-based games, Season 5’s “Striking Vipers” stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Karl Houghton, an old friend of Danny Parker (Anthony Mackie) who tries to reconnect through their shared love of video games. But when they start playing Striking Vipers, it sends their relationship in a whole new direction.
“Hotel Reverie,” also from Season 7, isn’t exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes filmmaking process we see in Wonder Man, but it follows an actress, producer, and studio head as they attempt to remake a 1940s classic using AI.
If you’re a Yahya fan in general, you’ll love his episode, but the series rarely misses, and it’s worth checking out the rest as well.
Where to watch: Netflix
Atlanta (2016–22)
Wonder Man’s captivating, Atlanta-coded fourth episode, “The Doorman,” is a poignant exploration into the dark side of showbiz, while introducing a lesser-known Marvel Comics character to the MCU. It centers on nightclub doorman turned actor DeMarr Davis (Byron Bowers) as his new powers skyrocket him into overnight fame, and then drag him down to rock bottom.
The style and tone of the cautionary tale are reminiscent of Atlanta, Donald Glover’s genre-bending series known for its standalone episodes, including Season 2’s “Teddy Perkins” and Season 3’s “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga.” The latter episode doesn’t feature any of the main cast, much like “Doorman,” though DeMarr’s story ties back around to Simon’s struggle to make it in Hollywood.
If you enjoyed Wonder Man’s surreal, black-and-white Twilight Zone-esque bottle episode, then Atlanta is the perfect series for your next binge watch.
Where to watch: Hulu
Hollywood Struggles
Barry (2018–23)
If there’s one non-comic book TV series that matches the tone of Wonder Man, it’s HBO’s hit series Barry, co-created by Bill Hader (Documentary Now!) and Alec Berg (Silicon Valley). The dark comedy centers on Barry Berkman (Hader), a Marine vet working as a hitman. But when he goes to L.A. and follows a target into an acting class, he rethinks his current occupation and wants to be an actor.
Balancing his killer job with becoming a performer makes his life even more chaotic than it already was. The Jayden (Brandon Wardell) and Esteban (Carlito Olivero) bike situation in Wonder Man’s episode 3, “Found Footage,” is like a scene from Barry, especially the chasing after someone and later running from someone else.
Like Simon, Barry hides his violent past from everyone, but channels his anxiety into moving performances. His relationship with his new acting teacher, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), isn’t exactly like what Simon has with Trevor. However, Gene and Trevor’s mentorship is instrumental in making their respective series so entertaining and, at times, deeply emotional.
Where to watch: HBO Max
Galaxy Quest (1999)
In the very first scene of Wonder Man’s premiere episode, we see Simon Williams as a kid, sitting in a theater with his dad, watching the original Wonder Man from the 1980s. He’s not just a lonely actor with no friends; he’s a film nerd who saw a sci-fi adventure movie with a person he loved and admired, and it means more to him than people know.
This satirical ’90s classic is about actors who played in a Star Trek-like TV show. It’s been a decade, and they’ve spent some time on the convention circuit. Commander Peter Quincy Taggart star, Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), is self-centered like Simon, and we watch both characters have similar arcs.
As for Jason’s co-stars, each actor’s character represents a different sci-fi show clichés. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver) is the only female and therefore the sex symbol, while Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman) is the Shakespearean actor above all the silly fantasy stuff. And we can’t forget Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) is the token Black character.
Galaxy Quest is the perfect movie about sci-fi nostalgia, fandoms, and aging actors trying to stay relevant.
Where to watch: MGM+ via Prime Video
Ed Wood (1994)
Films and TV shows set in Los Angeles almost always feature a gaggle of eccentric characters, whether they’re hipsters, influencers, or annoying neighbors. In Wonder Man, actor Joe Pantoliano fits the bill, playing a heightened version of himself. The visionary director Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić ) also brings a mad artist energy every time he’s on screen.
Shot in black-and-white, Tim Burton’s biopic tells the story of Edward D. Wood Jr. (Johnny Depp), the titular outcast filmmaker, struggling to make his mark in 1950s Hollywood. It’s his relentless optimism that allows him to make his low-budget sci-fi movies, like Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 from Outer Space, which don’t look that different from the original Wonder Man movie Simon fell in love with as a kid. The late Martin Landau plays actor Bela Lugosi, known for his iconic role as Count Dracula in 1931. Ed also befriends other showbiz oddballs, including The Amazing Criswell (Jeffrey Jones), Bunny Breckinridge (Bill Murray), and Vampira (Lisa Marie).
It may not look like Simon and Ed have anything in common. But their ambition, frustration, and friendships with older actors are very similar, not to mention the way their passion and personalities frustrate others.
Anyone who loves filmmaking, Tim Burton, and/or old sci-fi B movies will love Ed Wood. It’s a fun watch for Halloween, too!
Where to watch: Prime Video
The post What to Watch If You Loved ‘Wonder Man’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Clifford “Method Man” Smith is no stranger to layered storytelling, but his latest film, Relationship Goals, gave him a unique challenge: stepping into a story that is unapologetically centered on female empowerment. In a recent interview, Smith reflected on the subtle art of navigating spaces where his presence must complement rather than overshadow.
“You thought that I was trying to manipulate you when I wasn’t, being a narcissist when I wasn’t. That says a lot about who you are,” he recalled, recounting a tense but defining moment in the film. “And he left it at that moment right there.”
This moment captures the essence of Smith’s approach on set. While the film is anchored in strong female characters — most notably Kelly Rowland, whose performance consistently portray women in positions of power — Smith had to find a balance between asserting his role and supporting the story’s central voices. “You just gotta know how to move in that space without overtaking the space,” he said. “You gotta know how to blend in, and not just blend in, but add on to it to make it a beautiful journey for us all.”
Smith’s insight points to a deeper understanding of collaboration in storytelling, especially in narratives aimed at highlighting female empowerment. He notes that male characters, even when well-intentioned, can sometimes unintentionally overpower the message. “Jared had a problem with that,” Smith admitted. “Pretty much. He definitely did, and I think that his enthusiasm overtook the message that he was trying to convey to her to the point where, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna show who I really am, where I really stand,’ and I think that’s what pretty much talked volumes to Leah more than anything he could have said to her verbally.”
The takeaway is clear: authenticity and attentiveness in collaborative storytelling often speak louder than words. For Smith, it’s about enhancing the scene. By allowing the women around him to shine and carefully calibrate his performance, he contributes to a narrative that feels genuine, powerful, and relatable.
Relationship Goals isn’t just another film in Smith’s storied career; it’s a testament to the ways actors can honor stories that are bigger than themselves. Smith demonstrates that the strongest supporting role is sometimes the one that listens, reacts, and uplifts.
The post Method Man on Navigating Power, Vulnerability, and Female Empowerment in ‘Relationship Goals’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
A new Star Wars movie which would see the return of Ben Solo was seemingly greenlit… then axed…last year. Unfortunately, thanks to Disney, The Hunt for Ben Solo is a dead dream. Lucasfilm, along with Adam Driver and Steven Soderbergh, were totally on board with the spin-off. It made it pretty far up the corporate chain, too, before Disney decided to scrap it since Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) died in The Rise of Skywalker (because that’s totally stopped them before). Following Kathleen Kennedy’s departure from Lucasfilm in January of this year, Soderbergh is once again expressing his frustration in a conversation with BKMAG. After two years of unpaid work on the Ben Solo Star Wars project, he is disappointed.
“We were all frustrated,” Soderbergh shares in the interview about the process of making the Kylo Ren/Ben Solo Star Wars movie and what happened with The Hunt for Ben Solo. “You know, that was two and a half years of free work for me and Adam [Driver] and Rebecca Blunt. When Adam and I discussed him talking about it publicly, I said, ‘Look, do not editorialize or speculate about the why. Just say what happened, because all we know is what happened.’ The stated reason was, ‘We don’t think Ben Solo could be alive.’ And that was all we were told. And so there’s nothing to do about it, you know, except move on.”
Soderbergh was set to front the Ben Solo project with Rebecca Blunt. Driver is the one who came forward with the idea to Soderbergh some years ago. “I always was interested in doing another Star Wars,” said the actor in an interview with Associated Press. And the dream became very real for the duo. Until Disney put their foot down on The Hunt for Ben Solo. A real slap in the face. According to then-Lucasfilm head honcho Kennedy, this was the first time Disney had straight-up rejected a finished script.
“I’d kind of made the movie in my head, and just felt bad that nobody else was going to get to see it,” said Soderbergh, “I thought the conversation was strictly going to be a practical one, where they go, ‘what is this going to cost?’ And I had a really good answer for that. But it never even got to that point. It’s insane. We’re all very disappointed.” And fans are disappointed to, we know many who would have wanted to see The Hunt for Ben Solo become a real movie.
On the bright side, the turnover, with both Kennedy and Disney CEO Bob Iger stepping down, may lead to greener pastures ahead. Meaning, under new leadership, there’s always a chance for Lucasfilm and Disney to circle back to The Hunt for Ben Solo in the future. Until then, their focus rests on The Mandalorian & Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter.
The post Steven Soderbergh Is Frustrated Over THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO appeared first on Nerdist.