Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will reprise his role as DC Comics’ villainous Black Manta in next year’sAquaman and the Lost Kingdom. However, Abdul-Mateen is going to get a chance to portray a superhero of his own in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well.Deadlineis reporting that Abdul-Mateen has been cast as Simon Williams, akaWonder Man, for his own upcoming Disney+ series.
Don’t let the name fool you. Marvel’s Wonder Man has nothing to do with DC’s Wonder Woman. Instead, Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby created Simon Williams as a one-off Avengers villain in 1964. Within his debut story, Simon was a disgraced executive who was given superpowers by the Masters of Evil in return for infiltrating the Avengers and betraying them. Regardless, Simon ultimately sided with the Avengers and turned against the Masters even though it cost him his life.
Wonder Man was revived in the ’70s and he became a regular part of theAvengerscomic and a member of the team. He also found fame as both a stuntman and an actor, which sometimes conflicted with his career as a hero.
Abdul-Mateen has extensive genre experience, including his starring roles inCandyman(pictured above), HBO’sWatchmen, andThe Matrix Resurrections. He is currently starring in the Broadway revival ofTopdog/Underdog.
So far, the only other confirmed cast member forWonder Manis Ben Kingsley, who will reprise his role as actor Trevor Slattery fromIron Man 3andShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Trevor’s inclusion appears to imply that theWonder Manseries will lean into Simon’s quest to become a rich and famous actor.
Shang-Chidirector Destin Daniel Cretton will executive produceWonder Manalongside head writer Andrew Guest. Cretton is also expected to direct the series, which does not currently have a release date.
