Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Reflects on the Challenges and Rewards of Playing Wonder Man
DUBAI — Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, known for his roles as Black Manta in the “Aquaman” films and his breakout performance in HBO’s “Watchmen,” has opened up about stepping into the Marvel universe as Simon Williams, the protagonist of the new series “Wonder Man.”
“People see so much of themselves in Simon, from all walks of life. Actors, writers, directors, certainly, but podcasters, the doorman at the building where I work everyone relates to having a dream and believing,” Abdul-Mateen told Deadline.
Created by Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character was initially introduced as a supervillain imbued with “ionic” energy who fought the Avengers. He was later reborn as a superhero who eventually joined the Avengers. In the series, Hollywood actor Simon Williams is thrust into the world of superheroes as he gains powers of his own, becoming Wonder Man.
The series is spearheaded by Destin Daniel Cretton, director of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” and Andrew Guest, a writer-producer on comedies including “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Community.”
Abdul-Mateen praised the collaborative spirit of the production: “The scripts were good, but scripts are always in development. To me, the constant was the creators — Destin and Andrew Guest. I remember everything that we talked about was in terms of what we think is happening — not what we know is happening. That let me know that it was going to be a collaborative effort. And that, as the number one on the call sheet, my voice and my opinions would be reflected in the script and the story.”
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