Wonder Man Set Photos Confirm Return of Fan-Favorite MCU Character
Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now underway, bringing a wide crop of characters to life onscreen. One of the most unexpected projects in the franchise's future is Wonder Man, a Disney+ series that will bring the world of Simon Williams / Wonder Man (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) to life onscreen. Given Simon's comic-accurate profession of an actor, it has been expected that the Wonder Man series would poke fun at the MCU's version of Hollywood. This was already confirmed with the news that Ben Kingsley would be reprising his role as Trevor Slattery in the series — and now we know what that will look like. A new series of set photos, which you can check out below, show Kingsley on set.
Wonder Man also stars Demetrius Grosse as Grim Reaper, and Lauren Glazier in a currently-unknown role. The series will be directed by The Spectacular Now and Shrinking's James Ponsoldt, The Photograph's Stella Meghie, and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty's Destin Daniel Cretton, who is directing and executive producing the show through his first-look deal with Marvel.
Who is Marvel's Wonder Man?
Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck in 1964's Avengers #9, Wonder Man was a villain-turned-hero with a variety of super powers, including iconic energy manipulation, teleportation, and strength. The character is possibly best known for being a founding member of the West Coast Avengers, which lead to him working as an actor and stuntman in Hollywood.
In the comics, Wonder Man also has a unique connection to both Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and The Vision, with him essentially being like a brother to the android. He also became a love interest of Wanda's following Vision's dismantling during the "Vision Quest" storyline (which, coincidentally, Marvel is also rumored to be developing a Disney+ series about).
Has Wonder Man appeared in the MCU?
Wonder Man was briefly poised to cameo in 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with writer-director James Gunn casting Nathan Fillion in the role. Fillion's Wonder Man was supposed to briefly appear in a series of in-universe movie posters during a sequence set on Earth, but it was ultimately cut from the film.
"[Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we're excited about it is that it's going to feel very unique. It's not going to feel like anything you've quite seen in the MCU before," Broussard shared. "And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we're having a blast making that one."
What do you think of the newest set photo for Marvel's Wonder Man? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!