Three big reasons why the show did so well: Oscar winner Ben Kingsley returns as Trevor. shang chi Director Destin Daniel Cretton (who has Spider-Man: Brand New Day Coming in July) co-produced and co-directed it. And Yahya Abdul-Mateen II played struggling actor James Williams, aka Wonder Man.
In real life, Abdul-Mateen is about as far from a struggling actor as you can get. He became famous almost instantly after appearing a decade ago black Mirror, watchman, aquaman And its sequel, candy Man, matrix resurrectionand more. one of his few roles was not M’Baku was apparently cast at Marvel black pantherWhich went to his fellow Yale School of Drama graduate Winston Duke.
In the latest episode of Josh Horowitz happy sad confused podcast, Abdul-Mateen talked about how despite not getting black pantherHe was still interested in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, he wanted to go to that world cautiously, and at first he did not know when wonder man Came along.
Abdul-Mateen recalled, “The pitch was… They were going to do it differently. Dustin would shoot it the same way he shoots his indies. It would feel like something different. We’re not going to go after the big superhero thing.”
The character Marvel wanted him to play was also part of the pitch. Simon Williams assured Abdul-Mateen, “He cares about acting. He cares about the craft. He’s a little awkward, but we think he’s relatable. We would love to have someone who is passionate about acting.”
That information—and because he wanted to work with Creighton—piqued Abdul-Mateen’s interest. But he wanted to talk to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige about the “big picture” before making a decision.
“I wanted to have a conversation with him to say — not necessarily, ‘Where is this going to go?’ I didn’t ask the question outright—but I said, ‘This sounds like a great opportunity, but I only get one Marvel dollar to spend…and I want to make sure I spend it well.'”
In other words, he wanted to make sure this was the right Marvel role for him. “I wanted to have this conversation with her, ‘My saying yes is a huge gamble because I really, really, really like what you all do. So if it’s not the time for me to say yes, let me know because I’ll sit on the sidelines and wait until it makes sense.'”
Fortunately, Feige “told me it would be a dollar well spent” and mentioned wonder man would provide a way for Abdul-Mateen to show his comedic side, something he didn’t really get to do in previous projects.
Fast forward to now, and wonder man The work is a hit with a second season. Although Abdul-Mateen couldn’t reveal much about what we might see from Williams next, he is excited to learn how the character will evolve now that he has found the fame he was looking for.
“When he gets some power… what is he going to become? Have we created a monster?” He said. “Then again, I guess it’s nice to see someone want something [become] A star, and then you have to let it go as high as it can go. And let it burn a little in the sun. But his climb is very exciting to me.”
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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