‘Wonder Man’: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Cast as Lead in Upcoming Disney+ Series
Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been cast in the upcoming Disney+ series Wonder Man. In the show, Abdul-Mateen will play Simon Williams / Wonder Man, a character from Marvel Comics.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will star as Wonder Man
On Oct. 31, Deadline broke the news that Abdul-Mateen was cast as the lead in Wonder Man. The show is part of an ongoing list of future Marvel Studios and Disney+ projects.
Wonder Man is in the initial development stages and is expected to start filming sometime in 2023. A premiere date for the Disney+ show is unknown.
According to Deadline, “the show will see the return of Oscar winner Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery — the supervillain turned good guy otherwise known as The Mandarin who has previously appeared in both Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi.”
Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest are both expected to lead the development of the series. Cretton is known for his work directing the 2021 Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Guest worked as a producer on the Disney+ show Hawkeye.
Who is the Marvel character Simon Williams?
So far, not much is known about the plot of Wonder Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the character Simon Williams has been around since 1964.
Stan Lee, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby originally created the character for the comic The Avengers #9. Williams inherits Williams Innovations from his father after his father’s death, but the company fails in comparison to its competitor Stark Industries.
According to Deadline, “The younger Williams gains ion-based superpowers, including super strength, while working under the villainous Baron Zemo and establishing himself as an antagonist to The Avengers, though he later decides to become part of that same superhero team.”
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is an accomplished actor
Before leading Wonder Man, Abdul-Mateen boasts an impressive filmography. Early in his career, he appeared in films Baywatch, The Greatest Showman, and Us. In 2021, he starred in Candyman and The Matrix Resurrections.
Abdul-Mateen has also worked extensively with DC. In 2018, he appeared in Aquaman as David Kane / Manta, and he will reprise the role in the 2023 film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
The actor starred as Cal Abar in the HBO miniseries Watchmen, which is based on DC comics of the same name.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
