DUBAI: US actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has reportedly said that “people see so much of themselves in (protagonist) Simon (Williams),” the role he plays in the Marvel series “Wonder Man.”:
The actor was known to comic book fans as DC’s Black Manta in the “Aquaman” movies and for his breakout role in HBO’s “Watchmen” before he was cast in “Wonder Man” in 2022.
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 gets powers of his own, becoming 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 in an interview published this week.
The maker of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest, a writer-producer on comedies including “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Community,” spearhead the series.
“The scripts were good, but scripts are always in development. To me, the constant was the creators — Destin and Andrew Guest,” Abdul-Mateen said.
“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,” he added.
