Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Wonder Man. The actor will star as the titular hero in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ series.
Abdul-Mateen will star as Simon Williams, who transforms into Wonder Man. In the comics, Williams is the son of a wealthy industrialist who went head-to-head with Stark Industries. Williams turns to Baron Zemo for powers and plays to infiltrate the Avengers to gain an advantage. He later actually joins the Avengers for real, even serving as a founding member of the spin-off team, the West Coast Avengers.
Variety notes, “unclear how much or little of this storyline will make its way into the series.”
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Destin Daniel Cretton is developing Wonder Man with head writer Andrew Guest. Cretton will reportedly direct, yet Variety notes his hectic schedule as he will also helm 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Abdul-Mateen is known for playing some fairly iconic comic book characters. His breakout performance came in 2018’s Aquaman, starring as Black Manta. He then played Dr. Manhattan in HBO’s 2019 series Watchmen, winning an Emmy for the role. He’ll return as Black Manta in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, coming to cinemas Christmas 2023.
At the time of writing, there’s no release date for Marvel’s Wonder Man on Disney+. In the meantime, let us know what you make of the casting news on our socials @FlickeringMyth…