Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is making the jump from DC to join the Marvel family.
According to Deadline, the actor is taking on the lead role in the upcoming live-action Wonder Man series coming to Disney+. Abdul-Mateen will play Simon Williams, the son of industrialist Sanford Williams, who gains ion-based superpowers, including super strength. Initially, an antagonist to The Avengers, Wonder Man would become a founding member of the West Coast Avengers, becoming a celebrity due to his career as an actor and stuntman. The character was first introduced in 1964, created by Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby.
The Wonder Man series was first announced in development this past June, with Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton and Hawkeye co-producer Andrew Guest on board. Cretton will direct and executive produce, and Guest will serve as a head writer. Ben Kingsley, known as Trevor Slattery/The Mandarin from Iron Man III and Shang-Chi, will reprise his role in Wonder Man.
Abdul-Mateen is no stranger to the comic book genre. The actor played David Kane/Black Manta in 2018’s Aquaman and will be featured in the sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is slated for a December 2023 release.
Abdul-Mateen is also known for his critically acclaimed work on HBO’s Watchmen as Cal Abar/Dr. Manhattan, for which he won his first Emmy award in 2020. The actor is currently headlining in the Broadway revival of Suzan Lori Park’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Topdog/Underdog.