“Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a struggling actor desperate to land the role of his childhood idol, Wonder Man. Marvel also announced that “Wonder Man,” which was previous slated to debut in December, will now premiere on the streamer on January 27.
In the trailer, Simon is shocked when renown filmmaker Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić from “Superman”) announces that he’s going to remake the classic “Wonder Man” film that Simon adored as a child. In his quest to land the role, Simon winds up befriending fellow actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), who infamously played the “role” of international terrorist the Mandarin in 2013’s “Iron Man 3.” Kingsley reprised Trevor in 2021’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton — who co-created and executive produced the series, and directed the first episode.
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Cretton, currently in production directing “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” co-created the show with Andrew Guest (“Hawkeye,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Community”), who also served as the showrunner. “Wonder Man” co-stars X Mayo, Demetrius Grosse, Arian Moayed and Olivia Thirlby.
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Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck in 1964, in the Marvel Comics, Wonder Man is the alias of Simon Williams, the son of rich industrialist Sanford Williams. After Williams Innovations faces financial troubles due to competition with Stark Industries, Simon ends up accepting an offer from Baron Zemo that gives him ionic superpowers. After over a decade as a villain to the Avengers, Simon ultimately turns over a new leaf and becomes a longstanding member of the team. Later on in his career, Simon gains an interest in acting and moves to Los Angeles, where he works as a stuntman and books minor roles in blockbusters.
Watch the trailer below.
