The upcoming Marvel Studios series Wonder Man’ has found its lead in Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman, Candyman). Probably best known for playing David Kane aka Manta in the DCEU film Aquaman, Abdul-Mateen will be making his way over into the MCU as the star of Wonder Man as Simon Williams, aka the titular hero of the same name, reports Deadline.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s career has been blowing up in recent years after landing major roles in HBO’s Watchmen, and The Matrix Resurrections, among a few other high-profile projects. Mateen, who is no stranger to comic book properties, will appear in the Aquaman sequel next year, will have a major presence in the MCU as Simon Williams, a character that made his first appearance in The Avengers no.9 way back in 1964. At first a villain, Williams eventually joins the forces for good and becomes an Avenger himself.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton will be executive producing the Wonder Man series with comedic writer Andrew Guest signed on as the head writer. The series is said to be a comedy and will also see the return of Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, a role he first appeared in during Iron Man 3 and later reprised in Shang-Chi.
As of right now, the plot of Wonder Man has not been revealed, nor has a release date been provided. However, industry chatter suggests the series should begin filming some time in 2023 so expect to see the first episode land on Disney+ likely in 2024 at the earliest.
