The shrinking man narrative is most associated in modern pop culture with Ant-Man, and now more than 10 years after the iconic Marvel character was first pulled from the pages for the Paul Rudd-starring big screen adaptation, Peacock is taking a turn at the bizarre concept. The streamer just released its new Ant-Man-like show that even stars an MCU actor, with all 10 episodes of sci-fi comedy now streaming.
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Peacock’s The Miniature Wife is like Ant-Man but with a chaotic, high-stakes divorce drama focus rather than superheroes. The 10-episode series, created by Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner and based on a short story by Manuel Gonzales, stars Deadpool & Wolverine star Matthew Macfadyen opposite Elizabeth Banks in a chaotic story about a narcissistic scientist and his wife navigating intense power struggles and communication failures. Their marital struggles only get more complicated when he, on accident or on purpose, shrinks her six inches tall.
Peacock’s The Miniature Wife Is a 10/10 Sci-Fi Show
The Miniature Wife is only a few hours into its life on Peacock, but it’s already a smash hit for the streamer. The series debuted with a perfect 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, a number that is ultimately subject to change given that it’s based on just five critic reviews so far. Regardless, that’s a pretty strong start for the sci-fi show, which perfectly uses its sci-fi twist to turn the figurative feeling of “feeling small” in a relationship into a physical reality with a volatile mix of relationship drama and surreal, sometimes slapstick scenarios.
The new show has been described as “worth the ride” and “laugh-out-loud funny” by critics, even if it does feel a bit stretched for its 10-episode run, with some subplots feeling a bit out of place and unnecessary. The main narrative, though, is downright hilarious, featuring absurd, surreal scenarios, like a tiny human fighting a regular-sized cat, all while remaining grounded in a serious examination of marital power struggles. Awards Buzz’s Abe Friedtanzer said, “The Miniature Wife takes a simple premise and expands marvelously upon it, delivering rich entertainment that allows its sci-fi concept to take it to truly great heights.” Critics are also praising the performances of Macfadyen and Banks, the pair bringing great chemistry and perfect comedic chops to the series and wholeheartedly committing to the wild concept. The show also makes some pretty creative use of props and features stellar visual effects.
Will There Be a The Miniature Wife Season 2?
The Miniature Wife didn’t premiere with a Season 2 guarantee. As of now, there has been no official announcement regarding a second outing for the series, which ultimately depends on viewership and critical reception, the latter of which has at least been pretty outstanding. For now, fans can binge-watch all 10 episodes of The Miniature Wife on Peacock now.
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