Wonder Man proved to be a breath of fresh air for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it raises some overarching shared universe questions like the role Damage Control could play moving forward and whether or not Simon Williams will cross paths with the Avengers, the show is very different from everything that’s come before thanks to its distinct storytelling approach and style. Its very meta narrative about the entertainment industry provided the Wonder Man creative team with plenty of opportunities to be unique and attempt things fans wouldn’t expect from a Marvel Studios production (like the black-and-white “Doorman” episode that demonstrated why super-powered individuals can’t work as actors in the MCU).
Videos by ComicBook.com
One of the best examples of Wonder Man breaking the typical MCU mold came in the fifth episode, “Found Footage.” In it, Simon and Trevor Slattery are celebrating the fact that they’ve received callbacks for the in-universe Wonder Man movie when they’re attacked by drug dealers demanding the money Trevor owes them. Simon uses his powers to save Trevor from the assailants, and then the two discover the encounter has been filmed by a boy named Jayden. The two actors chase Jayden down, starting a California misadventure that harkens back to one of Quentin Tarantino’s best films.
Wonder Man Episode 5 Is the MCU’s Version of a Pulp Fiction Segment
While the on-screen violence and language are (obviously) toned down to keep in line with Wonder Man‘s established TV-14 rating, “Found Footage” plays a lot like a segment from Pulp Fiction. It’s a largely self-contained, drug-related storyline in which Simon and Trevor get a lot more than they bargained for as things continue to escalate over the course of the episode. What starts as a seemingly simple mission to negotiate the return of Jayden’s (allegedly) stolen motorcycle transforms into a high-stakes shootout between drug dealers and police officers. “Found Footage” is driven by a Tarantino-esque madcap sense of energy that keeps the audience on its toes.
Pulp Fiction is regarded as one of the best crime movies of all time because it’s able to consistently raise the tension amidst the entertaining dialogue exchanges and character moments. Each segment of Pulp Fiction is a short story with its own sense of stakes for the viewer to get invested in. Most times, it’s a matter of life or death. Vincent is desperate to save Mia Wallace from her drug overdose because he knows what will happen to him if she dies, for instance. Things aren’t that extreme on Wonder Woman, but there’s still a palpable amount of tension running through the episode. Simon can’t risk the found footage being leaked online because it would mean the end of his burgeoning acting career. Audiences feel his desperation as he attempts to make things right.
In typical Pulp Fiction fashion, nothing goes as planned in “Found Footage.” Just as Vincent’s nice night out with Mia devolved into an emergency medical situation and Butch and Marsellus found themselves in the company of Maynard and Zed, Simon and Trevor deal with one complication after another during their trying day. Their attempt to retrieve Jayden’s bike goes sideways when they find out Jayden may not have been honest with them (leading to a hilarious back and forth about who they can trust), and then things come to a head when the drug dealers return and take Jayden hostage. Like the best segments in Pulp Fiction, “Found Footage” is essentially a comedy of errors that ratchets up to extreme chaos when the police arrive to investigate the situation at Estevan’s house. If you dialed things up to the R rating, the scenario would be right at home in a classic Tarantino flick.
To top it all off, at the end of the episode, Simon learns that his callback for Wonder Man has been moved up and he has to meet with director Von Kovak ASAP. That final twist makes “Found Footage” all the more hysterical, adding to the already high levels of stress and tension. Fortunately, something else “Found Footage” shares with Pulp Fiction is a willingness to give the story’s main characters a happy ending. Pulp Fiction innovated the industry with Tarantino’s distinct style, but its segments are not afraid to embrace the classic Hollywood happy ending to give the audience a sense of relief after living through the insanity (Mia doesn’t die, Butch rides away to freedom, etc.). Marvel may not have been intentionally trying to do a Pulp Fiction homage when making Wonder Man, but it’s hard not to recognize the parallels — and the results are a whole lot of fun.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of Studio Bones -
Image Courtesy of Science SARU
