In a truly unexpected television moment, Coronation Street has made a baffling crossover into the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe. The long-running ITV soap opera received a surprising mention in the brand new Disney+ series Wonder Man, effectively establishing the fictional Manchester street as part of Marvel's fictional world.
Marvel's Wonder Man Drops Corrie Reference
The eight-part Marvel series, which dropped in its entirety on January 27 after being officially announced in October 2024, contains a scene that left fans of both franchises stunned. The reference occurs during a conversation between characters Trevor Slattery, portrayed by legendary actor Sir Ben Kingsley, and Simon Williams, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Sir Ben Kingsley's Real Corrie Connection
In a clever meta-reference that blends fiction with reality, Trevor Slattery reveals to Simon that he once appeared in Coronation Street. During their conversation, Simon discovers a collection of tapes marked 'Coronation Street, episodes 616 – 619, 646 – 649', to which Trevor confirms his participation.
Trevor even recalls one of his character's lines from the soap, stating: 'A pint of bitter please and one for my friend.' This revelation has particular significance because in reality, Sir Ben Kingsley did indeed appear in Coronation Street during the late 1960s, portraying a character named Ron Jenkins in those exact episodes.
During his time on the cobbles, the future Oscar winner appeared alongside established regulars including Philip Lowrie as Dennis Tanner. This real-life acting history has now been cleverly woven into Marvel's fictional universe through the character of Trevor Slattery, who has previously appeared in Iron Man 3 and The Legend of the Ten Rings.
Not Corrie's First Crossover This Year
Meanwhile, this Marvel crossover represents just the latest unexpected partnership for the iconic soap. Earlier this year, Coronation Street collided with fellow ITV soap Emmerdale in the explosive crossover event dubbed Corriedale.
Corriedale's Explosive Reception
The historic episode began with a catastrophic car pile-up that left many beloved residents from both Weatherfield and the Dales fighting for their lives. The jam-packed hour never let up on drama, treating viewers to grisly murders, romantic proposals, tense chase scenes, and several character deaths.
Fans immediately took to social media platform X to praise what they called 'the most special piece of TV', with many predicting award success and expressing desires for future crossovers. Viewers wrote enthusiastically: 'Standing ovation from my living room. What an episode' and 'That was the greatest hour of television I've ever seen. Everyone involved should be incredibly proud.'
Other passionate responses included: 'I think that was the single best episode of a soap I've ever seen in my life and I'm not even being dramatic' and 'My brain is going to take 3-5 business days to process this. So many questions. Absolute cinema.'
Many viewers called for awards recognition, with comments like: 'They're gonna need a bigger stage for the NTAs when #corriedale sweep all the awards' and '#CorrieDale was some of the best TV I've watched for years.' Some even suggested permanent changes: 'You know what screw it cancel both shows and make #Corriedale permanent. That's just single handedly saved their year.'
The praise extended to the production teams, with one viewer noting: 'to both of the teams at @emmerdale and @itvcorrie tonight. WELL DONE. For both soaps, that was one of the best episodes that I have seen in a long time. And to all of the actors, each and every one of you pulled an absolute blinder tonight. You were all incredible.'
Coronation Street continues to air weekdays on ITV1 and remains available to stream on ITVX, now with the added distinction of existing within both British television history and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
