Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be bringing Simon Williams to life in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Wonder Man series, and one new theory makes us excited to see the new hero’s backstory in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Developed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Destin Daniel Cretton and Hawkeye’s Andrew Guest, Wonder Man is expected to be something completely unique in the MCU. The series stars Abdul-Mateen II as actor Simon Williams, who tries to earn the lead role in a remake of a classic in-universe superhero movie, Wonder Man, but Williams has a secret weapon.
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Teaser trailers have given us brief glimpses to what superpowers Simon Williams already has running through his body. We’ve seen him disperse epic shockwaves of energy, his eyes have been tinted with a purple hue, and we’ve seen him obliterate a table with ease. The exact nature of his powers hasn’t been revealed. While Marvel Studios could stay faithful to the character’s rich Marvel Comics backstory, one new theory suggests Simon Williams’ debut in the MCU might call back to one of the franchise’s best TV shows.
Simon Williams’ Powers in Wonder Man Might Come From the Scarlet Witch
A popular theory has recently emerged that posits Simon Williams could have been a resident of Westview, New Jersey, in the MCU. This would have trapped him inside the Scarlet Witch’s Hex during the events of WandaVision, and, if he was able to pass through this border of Chaos Magic energy, this might have been the source of his new superpowers. This would connect Simon Williams to the MCU in a very clever way, and there’s already precedence for this to happen, as we’ve already seen one formidable hero emerge because of exposure to the Scarlet Witch’s Hex.
Back in WandaVision, SWORD agent Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) gained superpowers after repeatedly passing through the energy of Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) Hex. Rambeau gained the ability to absorb, observe, and manipulate spectrums of light, which made her supremely powerful — even powerful enough to seal a gap in the fabric of reality at the end of The Marvels. If Simon Williams got his abilities from the Hex, too, he could have a similar level of power, which could make his debut in the MCU game-changing for the franchise.
Simon Williams could be introduced as one of the MCU’s most powerful new characters in Wonder Man, setting him up for a bright future among the Avengers, West Coast Avengers, Defenders, or more. Williams may have gained a similar light-based power to Monica Rambeau, allowing him to harness light’s energy, or his powers could be more similar to those of his Marvel Comics counterpart. Tying Wonder Man’s origin to WandaVision and the Scarlet Witch would be a great way to pay homage to the MCU’s past, while simplifying his complicated backstory from the comics.
Wonder Man Theory Really Simplifies Simon Williams’ Marvel Backstory for the MCU
Wonder Man was introduced to Marvel Comics in 1964’s The Avengers #9, where he was originally a villain to the titular superhero team. Simon Williams was sent to infiltrate the Avengers by Baron Heinrich Zemo — the father of Helmut — after the antagonist imbued him with ionic energy, transforming him into Wonder Man. Williams was pushed to this extreme because of a difficult and complex history, which saw him incarcerated after he tried to embezzle funds, on the advice of his brother, when his father’s company, Williams Innovations, fall in profits while competing with Stark Industries.
Like many other Marvel heroes and villains, Simon Williams blames Tony Stark for his predicament, rather than taking accountability for himself or blaming his villainous brother, Eric Williams’ Grim Reaper — who will be played by Demetrius Grosse in Wonder Man. Williams becomes Wonder Man and infiltrates the Avengers, but betrays Zemo and saves the team instead of destroying them, and he eventually officially joins their ranks. This backstory is needlessly convoluted, and Wonder Man’s teaser trailers have already implied that Williams will not come from a business background nor has been incarcerated, so a new backstory must be created.
It would make a lot of sense for Simon Williams’ origins in the MCU to be connected to the Scarlet Witch. Elizabeth Olsen’s hero-turned-villain is one of Marvel’s most popular characters, and Marvel Studios must want to continue to capitalize on the success of WandaVision and its spinoffs. Wonder Man creates a fantastic opportunity for new connections to be made, and could open the door for even more heroes to become empowered — or depowered such as that iconic “No More Mutants” moment — by the Scarlet Witch and her Chaos Magic in the years to come.
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