Wonder Man has found its leading man. As reported by Deadline, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will take on the titular character for a Marvel live-action series slated for debut on Disney Plus. Abdul-Mateen appeared in a handful of DC projects, including the critically lauded HBO miniseries Watchmen as Cal Abar/Dr. Manhattan opposite Regina King and 2018’s Aquaman as David Kane/Black Manta alongside Jason Mamoa.
Destin Daniel Cretton, the filmmaker behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, will helm and executive produce Wonder Man. Hawkeye co-producer Andrew Guest will serve as head writer. Ben Kingsley, previously seen in Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi, will reprise his role as Trevor Slattery for the series.
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Simon Williams, a.k.a. Wonder Man, was first created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck. The character burst onto the comic book scene in October 1964 in The Avengers #9. He was an antagonist for the Avengers but was later reborn as a hero, joining the team he initially sought to destroy. Wonder Man’s abilities include superhuman strength/speed/stamina, ionic-energy physiology, enhanced hearing, shapeshifting, teleportation and more.
Abdul-Mateen made his acting debut in Baz Luhrmann‘s 2016 Netflix series The Get Down as Cadillac, with his portrayal of Duane in The Vanishing of Sidney Hall hot on its heels. He quickly rose to prominence, snagging roles in Aquaman, Jordan Peele‘s Us and Watchmen — the series that would garner him an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
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The award-winning actor also appeared in The Trial of the Chicago 7, starred in 2021’s horror thriller Candyman and played the role of Morpheus/Agent Smith in The Matrix Resurrections. This year, he headlined Michael Bay‘s Ambulance with Jake Gyllenhaal. Next, he’ll reprise his role as David Kane/Black Manta in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a talented and versatile performer, and I can’t wait to see him as Wonder Man. What are your thoughts on Abdul-Mateen’s casting for Marvel’s Wonder Man series? Sound off in the comments below!
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