How ‘Wonder Man’ Crafted That Genre-Bending Doorman Episode

Warning: This story contains spoilers for Wonder Man episode 4, “Doorman.” 

The Doorman clause looms large throughout Marvel Television's Wonder Man. All season long, actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) struggles to conceal his hidden superpowers, fearing that if his secret were ever to get out, he’d never work in Hollywood again. Simon holds no ambitions of heroism or derring-do; he dreams of being an actor, not an Avenger. But because of something called the Doorman clause, actors with superpowers are banned from working on Hollywood film and TV sets. Every actor who auditions must sign a waiver denying that they have powers, as Hollywood insiders whisper in hushed tones about the downfall of Doorman. 

Wonder Man episode 4 peels back the curtain on Doorman, weaving a tragic (yet deeply funny) tale of Hollywood excess and ambition. Played by Byron Bowers, DeMarr “Doorman” Davis is a nightclub security guard, eternally content with his job and life. But after encountering some radioactive goo leaking from a dumpster, DeMarr finds himself blessed with supernatural abilities — or, to be more specific, one ability. His power? He can turn himself into a human door, allowing others to pass through his body like a portal.

What ensues is a moody meditation on the nature of fame, following DeMarr as he rises to celebrity status. After rescuing a throng of people trapped inside the nightclub, DeMarr finds himself suddenly celebrated, his career and image bolstered by his friendship with Josh Gad (playing an over-the-top version of himself). Suddenly, DeMarr has endorsement deals, movie roles, and all the trappings of fame — until one fateful day when his powers cause an accident on the set of Gad’s new heist movie Cash Grab. As part of a stunt gone wrong, Gad disappears into DeMarr’s portal, never to reemerge. 

“We needed to contextualize a flash-in-the-pan type of trajectory for another kind of actor, someone who was essentially the cautionary tale for Simon,” Wonder Man head writer and co-creator Andrew Guest explains. “We got excited about Doorman being an opportunity to do that. He [started as] a one-joke kind of person, but we realized the more we talked about it, it was really essential to understanding the show and why Simon is so worried. This Doorman clause creates concrete stakes, making it super clear that if anyone ever knew Simon’s secret, then he’s cooked. He can never pursue his dream.” 

“What I love is that [Doorman] is a guy that has exactly one power,” adds James Ponsoldt, who directed the episode. “He has one power that has a utility, but it’s not the most spectacular power. It’s like a medium-cool power, and he does what he can with it and makes a few bucks. But it goes wrong before he can really take it to the next level.” 

Wonder Man marks Doorman’s live-action debut, but the character has a long history in Marvel Comics. Created by John Byrne, DeMarr Davis made his debut in 1989’S WEST COAST AVENGERS #46, and it was writer Zeke Williams who first pitched the Wonder Man team on the idea, hoping to spotlight a lesser-known comics character in a new way.  

“His only superpower is becoming a door, and we loved that idea,” Guest says. “It felt like it fit into our show, which is full of weirdos and misfits and outsiders.” 

“In the nearly 100 years of [Marvel] writing and publishing, you end up with a couple characters like this,” adds co-executive producer Brian Gay. “They can have a strange power that was useful in one issue, and then suddenly a couple years later, you get the chance to elevate it. The iterative nature of the comics is what’s so fun to work with in the Marvel universe.” 

Much of Wonder Man has a realistic, down-to-earth shooting style, depicting Los Angeles in all its (frequently grimy) glory. But Ponsoldt wanted the Doorman episode to feel more like an old Hollywood fairytale, an ethereal black-and-white saga filled with swirling smoke and dreams. The entire series is a love letter to Hollywood and the film industry, so Ponsoldt drew inspiration from beloved filmmakers like Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, and Billy Wilder. “There was something about the look of the episode that we wanted to be really classic, iconic old Hollywood storytelling,” he explains. 

“We started giving these nods to classic movies of the ‘30s and ‘40s,” Gay adds. “Joel West’s score has this sort of light fairytale quality, but it’s sinister underneath.” 

Much of the episode rests on Bowers’ shoulders, following DeMarr from lowly nightclub employee to rising star to tragic cautionary tale. The episode juggles different tones and frequently switches between melancholy and comedy, sometimes even in the same scene. 

“I love when he’s trying to make sense of this power that he has, and he’s falling through floors in an apartment building,” Ponsoldt says. “You need an actor like Byron who can bring the audience in. He understands exactly how absurd the situation is and how implausible this seems. But there’s a deep level of relatability and empathy that we have for him.” 

As for Doorman’s A-list buddy? The filmmakers immediately thought Gad would be perfect for the role — especially once they imagined him performing a club remix of Olaf’s big song from Frozen. 

“We all got excited when we thought of him in a club singing ‘In Summer,’” Guest says with a laugh. “We were like, ‘Well, we have to do that somehow.’” 

“When we heard a demo of it, our brains melted,” Ponsoldt adds. “We lost our minds. We wanted to push it and make it as fun and as playful as possible. There’s a Venn diagram of silliness, sweetness, and some melancholy in this episode.” 

For Gad, it was the part he was literally born to play, and he threw himself into the role with gusto. “I was hoping to play a Super Hero, but I play the next best thing, which is myself,” he says. “I’m very Method, and so getting into Josh Gad’s mind was something that took a little time, but the more I got to know him and live with his wife and kids, the more comfortable I felt with the idea of bringing this character to life.”

The result is an episode that deviates from the main Wonder Man story, but director and series co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton says it provides important context for Simon’s journey — especially when it comes to understanding his friendship with fellow actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley). 

“That episode is, to me, what the whole show is actually about,” Cretton says. “It’s contentment versus huge dream. It’s being happy with who you are inside versus chasing the thing that you believe you are worthy of. Episode 4 starts with a character who is very content with his life and very happy with where he is — until somebody comes and tells him, ‘You’re too talented to be where you are.’ That seed of discontent is planted, and you watch it grow to a tragic place.”

“As much as Simon and Trevor are this platonic love story, this is the friendship that I think is the main heart of Wonder Man,” Ponsoldt adds. “Josh and DeMarr are this beautiful buddy story, and part of me is like, ‘Oh my gosh, I would love more time with them.’ I love that they really believe in each other, and it’s a story of genuine friendship.” 

And although the episode may conclude Doorman’s story, some questions still linger.  

“You gotta wonder what happened to Josh Gad!” Ponsoldt says with a laugh. “I mean, where is Josh Gad? The world is wondering.” 

Wonder Man is now streaming on Disney+.