How Joe Pantoliano’s 'Matrix' cameo landed on Disney+'s Wonder Man

Andrew Guest, co-creator of Disney+'s Wonder Man, explained how veteran actor Joe Pantoliano ended up guest-starring in the series, calling casting the 74-year-old performer "one of the 'most fun moments'" on the project. The show — set in the MCU timeline in 2026 and released January 27, 2026 — has been a hit with viewers and critics.

Pantoliano plays an exaggerated, mad variation of himself who first appears in episode two as Trevor Slattery's old "rival," opening his mansion to Simon Williams so the actor can shoot a self-tape. The series reveals that Pantoliano's character became a bigger star after Trevor's character was killed off their medical drama South Shore Hospital, leaving Trevor with a major grudge; Pantoliano returns again in the finale.

Guest told Entertainment Weekly the team had a list of character actors they admired and that Pantoliano "just stood out amongst the crop and was the first person we put a call into." He added that Pantoliano "has so much to say about [acting and Hollywood]... And we put all of that in the script, and it's really incredible." On the show's future, Guest told MovieWeb that Wonder Man was conceived as a self-contained story but that more seasons would depend on audience response: "I think it's really going to be up to how the audience responds to this series." Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley are reportedly open to returning if more episodes are ordered.

wonder man disney+, joe pantoliano cameo, trevor slattery return, andrew guest interview, yahya abdul-mateen ii wonder man, ben kingsley trevor slattery, wonder man casting, wonder man season 2, wonder man release date, mcu timeline 2026, south shore hospital, simon williams self-tape, joe pantoliano matrix cameo, andrew guest casting, marvel television future, movieweb interview, entertainment weekly quote, joe pantoliano veteran actor, pantoliano returns finale, simon williams yahya abdul-mateen