Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Cast as the Lead in Disney+'s Wonder Man

Watchmen and Candyman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will star in Disney+'s upcoming Wonder Man series. Find out what to expect from the project here.

By Daniel Trainor Oct 31, 2022 10:58 PMTags
Watch: How Well Did She-Hulk Stars Know Their Marvel History?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's superhero reign just won't let up. 

The actor, who previously appeared in 2018's Aquaman and 2019's Watchmen, has scored the lead role in the upcoming Disney+ series Wonder Man, according to Deadline.

The series will be directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsDestin Daniel Cretton and written by Andrew Guest, best known for his work on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Community

Wonder Man will also see Ben Kingsley reprise his role as The Mandarin (a.k.a. Trevor Slattery), who he played in 2021's Shang-Chi and 2013's Iron Man 3

Created by Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, Wonder Man (a.k.a. Simon Williams) first appeared in 1964's The Avengers #9.

Working under villain Baron Zemo, Wonder Man gains ion-based superpowers and initially works to destroy The Avengers. The son of industrialist Sanford Williams, he assumes control of the family munitions business and runs head-on into confrontation with Tony Stark and Stark Industries.

It's not all bad news, though, as Wonder Man is later re-born as a superhero and joins his former rivals in the fight against evil. 

photos
2022 TV Premiere Dates

Wonder Man is part of a growing list of new Marvel programming hitting Disney+ in the near future, including Secret Invasion starring Samuel L. Jackson and Olivia Colman, Ironheart starring Dominique Thorne and Shea Coulée and Daredevil: Born Again starring Charlie Cox.

Plus, there's a rumored WandaVision spin-off centered on Vision, starring Paul Bettany, in the works. 

Marvel fans might want to start doing their endurance exercises now.

Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

In the meantime, on the DC Comics side of things, you can check out Yahya reprise his role of Black Manta when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters in December 2023.

Get the drama behind the scenes. Sign up for TV Scoop!