Wonder Man Reveals Iron Man 3 Plot Hole About Trevor Slattery

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Marvel's Wonder Man

It's true. We never saw Sir Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery coming as one of the MCU's most beloved icons. Following his debut in Iron Man 3 back in 2013, few could have predicted Trevor's MCU trajectory all that way to 2026 with Wonder Man (including Marvel Studios themselves).

That said, Trevor's latest appearance in Marvel's Wonder Man does come with a key plot hole regarding his origins before being cast by Aldrich Killian and AIM as their very own fake terrorist leader in Iron Man 3. Here's our breakdown of the Iron Man 3 plot hole following Trevor Slattery's role in Wonder Man (and why we're not too bothered by it).

Wonder Man Sees Trevor Recognized For His Past Roles (Before "The Mandarin")

Following his return to America sometime after being a prisoner/jester of the true Mandarin (seen in 2021's Shang-Chi), Wonder Man sees Trevor being apprehended and made to work for the Department of Damage Control, lest he be placed back in prison to serve his unfinished sentence.

This is what leads to Trevor meeting fellow actor Simon Williams, as the DODC believes him to be a super-powered threat. However, the premiere of Wonder Man sees Simon recognizing Slattery not only for playing the fake The Mandarin, but also for his previous work on television in an episode of the CBS show Omnibus.

Likewise, a woman on Slattery's plane landing in America recognizes Trevor for his past role in a medical drama called South Shore Hospital, having had a prominent leading role in the series before his addictions led to his firing (and actor Joe Pantoliano taking over as the show's lead).

As a result, Wonder Man confirms Trevor had bigger roles beyond his King Lear stage performances (revealed in Iron Man 3) and an unaired CBS pilot for a series called Caged Heat (revealed in the Marvel One-Shot All Hail The King).

Looking at Trevor's full body of work before Iron Man 3, it can be questioned why AIM chose Slattery to be their Mandarin if he was an actor who could potentially be recognized by the public (like we're seeing in Wonder Man), and not someone more anonymous, as Trevor was originally presented in the 2013 film.

13 Years Later, The MCU's Most Controversial Twist Has Been Earned (Despite The Confusion)

Although it's a notable plot hole based on the nature of his first MCU appearance in Iron Man 3, I really can't complain when the trade-off is more Trevor Slattery in the MCU and a truly incredible performance from Sir Ben Kingsley in Wonder Man.

Without question, the bait-and-switch with Kingsley not being the MCU's genuine Mandarin was one of Marvel's most controversial twists. However, the actor has since led a hilarious short film, served as a brilliant supporting character in Shang-Chi, and is now the co-lead in one of the MCU's best shows to date.

Trevor Slattery easily has one of the wildest, most unexpected, and highly entertaining character journeys in the entire franchise, one that also becomes quite captivating and heartfelt thanks to Wonder Man. That original Iron Man 3 twist has more than paid off in the years that have followed. If we have to accept a plot hole surrounding Trevor's relative notoriety before playing The Mandarin, so be it.

All episodes of Marvel's Wonder Man are now streaming on Disney+.

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  Iron Man 3

  

  8/10

  Release Date May 3, 2013

  Runtime 130 Mins

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  Wonder Man

  Release Date January 27, 2026

  Network Disney+

  Writers Andrew Guest

  Franchise(s) MCU

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    Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

    Simon Williams

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