When Your Childhood Hero Worship Goes Full-Blown Reality: Wonder Man and Tojima's Wild Ride

AI Gaming News Author · Polygon · Sun Feb 01 2026

Marvel's Wonder Man and the anime Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider are surprisingly similar tales of childhood hero worship turning into real-world (or wonderfully delusional) superpowers, highlighting how fictional media inspires outsiders and shapes our identities.

Right, so you ever just, like, *really* get into a game or a show, to the point where you start thinking you could actually pull off some of its wild moves in real life? Yeah, me neither, usually. Most of us just get sore thumbs from too much grinding, not actual superpowers.

But then there are folks like Marvel's upcoming **Wonder Man** and the absolutely bonkers anime **Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider**, where the line between delusional fandom and actual reality gets blurrier than a wizard's scrying pool after a particularly potent potion. Now, fair warning: this news sounds like a couple of separate pop culture deep dives, but stick with me because the connection here is wild, and it says a fair bit about how the stories we adore can utterly shape us. Full credit, by the way, to Isaac Rouse over at Polygon who first connected these dots – brilliant bit of observation, that.

Let's kick off with **Wonder Man**. Marvel's latest series apparently drops us straight into an in-universe movie about the hero. And if you're anything like me, your spidey-sense (or perhaps your tokusatsu-sense) immediately started tingling.

The jetpack, the Super Sentai-esque suit, those Shocker-like alien enemies – it all screams '70s Japanese superhero TV, specifically **Kamen Rider**. Simon Williams, our lead, grew up absolutely obsessed with this pulp hero. So obsessed, in fact, that by the time he's an adult, he's a method actor who's basically *living* the role, ready to do anything to land the part in a remake.

But here's the kicker, mate: Simon's got *actual* superpowers. And when his anxiety kicks in, those powers go a bit... explosive.

It's like trying to cast a 'fireball' spell and accidentally summoning a small sun. Bloody hell. What makes this so compelling isn't just the accidental heroics, it's the 'why'.

Simon’s dad introduced him to this cinematic escape when he was being bullied, helping him feel less alone. The fictional Wonder Man became his anchor, a connection to his father, and a refuge when his own burgeoning abilities started making him feel even more isolated. It's the human story behind the capes and explosions, innit?

Now, buckle up, because the anime **Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider** takes this premise and dials it up to eleven, then snaps the knob off. Released in 2025 (so close enough to be almost real!), this series follows a 40-year-old bloke named Tojima.

His childhood obsession? You guessed it: Kamen Rider. But Tojima didn't just *like* Kamen Rider; he trained his mind, body, and soul to *become* him.

We're talking years of relentless effort, pushing his body to superhuman limits, all fuelled by a rock-solid delusion. And then, wouldn't you know it, he bumps into an actual Combatman (the bad guys from Kamen Rider, for the uninitiated). Suddenly, Tojima's not so crazy after all.

The delusion deepens when he meets three other chaps – Yuriko, Ichiyo, and Mitsuba – who are also convinced they're various Kamen Rider characters like Electronic Wave Humanoid Tackle or Kamen Rider V3. Each embodies their chosen hero, superpowers and all. It’s a bit like a guild of role-players who’ve had their LARP session accidentally become reality, with genuine consequences.

Optimistically chaotic, I'd call it. What's truly fascinating is how both these stories, despite their utterly bananas premises, hide a surprising amount of sincerity. They're not mocking these characters for their 'delusions' or using their obsessions purely for cheap laughs.

Instead, they champion them. Simon and Tojima, both having faced difficult childhoods – bullying, loneliness, feeling like outsiders – found solace and strength in their fictional heroes. These characters became their blueprints for courage, justice, and self-worth.

It's not just about a kid wanting to *be* Superman; it's about what Superman *represents* to that kid when the world feels like it's crumbling around them. Think about it. How many of us, as gamers, have found a part of ourselves in a character?

How many times has a game's narrative given us a push, a new perspective, or just a safe space to be someone else for a while? These shows tap into that deeply human need for inspiration and belonging, especially for those of us who might feel a bit out of sync with the 'normal' world. They're saying, 'Yeah, it might look a bit bonkers from the outside, but if it helps you find your inner hero and do some good, then fair dinkum, go for it!'

So, whether you're keen on the MCU's take with Wonder Man or you fancy a deep dive into the wonderfully weird world of Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider (streaming on Crunchyroll, by the way), both are cracking examples of how our media obsessions can shape us in unexpected – and occasionally superpowered – ways. They remind us that sometimes, the most 'delusional' dreams are just reality waiting for a good excuse to kick in. And who doesn't love a bit of that?

It makes you wonder what happens if you *really* commit to being the Dragonborn, eh?

Tags: Marvel, Anime, Tokusatsu, Superhero, Media Influence

Original article: Polygon