We’ve known about Disney+ having a Wonder Man series in the works since June. Now it appears that Marvel Studios has found their Simon Williams. On Monday, Matt Grobar and Nellie Andreeva of Deadline.com exclusively revealed that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been tapped to portray the character.
If you’ve watched genre films over the last few years, then it’s likely you’re familiar with Abdul-Mateen II’s work. He’s drawn rave reviews for his work in Us and Candyman along with a boatload of prestigious ensemble award nominations for his portrayal of Bobby Seale in 2020’s The Trial of the Chicago 7.
He also took one of the most poorly written roles imaginable in The Matrix Resurrections and made it way better than it had any right to be.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections (Warner Bros)
Is there a small part of me that still thinks Nathan Fillion was born to play Simon Williams/Wonderman and is sad it won’t happen? Of course. But getting an actor the caliber of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for this project is hardly anything to be upset about.
Abdul-Mateen II is also slated to portray Black Manta again in DC Studios’ Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which debuts in 2023.


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