Wonder Man’s Tribute Explained: Who Is Juan “Spike” Osorio?

Marvel’s newest TV series, Wonder Man, is very much a rule-breaker for the MCU. It’s not your typical superhero TV show, with a focus on character drama rather than action beats, and the character’s powers (and origin story) are explored in only cursory detail. Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest’s Wonder Man has a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, currently sitting at 90%, and the pitch – a down-on-his-luck actor trying to make a superhero film when he actually has superpowers – seems delightfully meta.

There’s a sense in which Wonder Man is a homage to Hollywood itself, with a vast number of celebrities making cameos playing themselves. Attentive viewers, though, will notice that Wonder Man episode 1 is dedicated to a name they’ll be less familiar with; Juan “Spike” Osorio. There’s a tragic reason for this dedication.

Juan “Spike” Osorio Tragically Died on the Set of Wonder Man

J.C. “Spike” Osorio was a lighting technician who sadly died in a tragic accident on the set of Wonder Man on February 6, 2024 (filming was yet to begin). A Cal/OSHA investigation found that Osorio died after falling through a rotten catwalk at Stage 3 at the Radford Studio Center in Studio City. “The deteriorated ledger was weakened likely due to age, environmental conditions and repeated stress loads over many decades,” the investigation concluded. “Suddenly, and without warning, the ledger supporting the floorboard broke apart and collapsed as the employee was standing on this section of catwalk.”

Osorio’s loved ones released an official statement mourning the death of “the most wonderful, thoughtful, and loving husband, a caring son, a wise brother, a strong friend, a brave veteran, a euphorbia enthusiast, a meticulous lighting technician, and a stickler for safety at work.” He was survived by his wife, Joanne Osorio-Wu, his mother, Zoila Osorio, and his two schnauzers, Murphy Pastrami and Sirius Pickle. Osorio was honored at a candlelit vigil on February 18, 2024, with hundreds from across the entertainment industry attending.

Cal/OSHA imposed fines for both Disney and the Radford Studio Center, and the tragedy led many studios to upgrade their catwalks to ensure such tragedies didn’t happen again. Now, appropriately, Marvel has chosen to honor Osorio by dedicating Wonder Man episode 1 to him. The studio had previously only released a simple statement after Osorio’s death, expressing sorrow and a willingness to work with the investigation, but this feels much more fitting.

What do you think of Wonder Man? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!