Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Tapped to Play Marvel’s ‘Wonder Man’
Marvel’s Wonder Man series brings the ionic superpowered, sometimes hero, sometimes villain, to the small screen.
Wonder Man, aka Simon Williams, has been part of Marvel’s roster since the mid-1960s – he’s a Lee/Kirby/Heck creation. Simon is the son of wealthy industrialist and munitions manufacturer Sanford Williams. The family business falls on hard times after Sanford passes and because of heavy competition from Stark Industries. Angry, Simon takes an offer from Baron Zemo that gives him ionic superpowers; he becomes super strong and durable. He fights the Avengers several times as a member of the Masters of Evil and joins the good guys.
via Marvel
Marvel’s Wonder Man Series
Marvel announced Wonder Man in June ahead of SDCC. The series has Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi) attached as showrunner, with Andrew Guest (Hawkeye) as head writer. And now it has its Simon Williams – Deadline is reporting that Abdul Yahya-Mateen II has been tapped for the role. The actor is no stranger to comic book projects. He was Cal Abar, aka Doctor Manhattan, in Watchmen and is reprising his role as Black Manta in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom next year.
Not sure where Wonder Man will end up on the good/evil spectrum in the MCU. Given the current projects Marvel is working on, it could be either. It looks like he’s being tied into Shang-Chi and Iron Man via Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, who will also be appearing in the show.
The project is in the early stages, so no release date has been announced.
