Wonder Man is set to introduce a brand-new character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the form of Simon Williams. Played by DC alum Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Williams is an actor eager for his big break — and he just so happens to have superhuman abilities as well. Introducing a new power player into the MCU is no small feat, and the creative team had to work to nail down Williams’ characterization in this continuity. Believe it or not, one of the show’s EPs managed to nail that down due in great part to an actual method actor.
Andrew Guest, who co-created Wonder Man with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Destin Daniel Cretton, wanted to tread lightly when fleshing out the lead character of his upcoming Marvel show. As part of the latest issue of SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend, Guest recalled the process of developing this iteration of Williams. The producer said the eureka moment arrived when he spotted a vintage interview given by a method actor. That unlocked one key element in regard to Williams' relationship with his powers:
I was like, ‘If you gave that person superpowers, he wouldn’t care. He just wants to be Daniel Day-Lewis, right?’ Once I figured that out, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s who Wonder Man is.’ He has powers, but he doesn’t want them. He doesn’t like superheroes. He likes art movies. He wants to be an artist. So how does being super-strong help you become an artist? It doesn’t.
Simon Williams won’t be the first character in this cinematic universe to gain abilities and not want them, as Peter Parker, Bruce Banner and others know a thing or two about that. Still, it’s interesting to apply that same principle to an actor who’s simply trying to navigate Hollywood, and I appreciate how Guest landed on this conclusion. Guest didn’t specify whether the interview he read actually involved Daniel Day-Lewis but, regardless, it seems like the comments he found were just what he needed for 2026 TV schedule entry:
Once I figured that out, I was like, ‘Okay, now I know who he is, and I know who Trevor is, so why are they together?’ And that was the next puzzle piece.
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The “Trevor” Andrew Guest mentions is none other than Trevor Slattery, who’s played by Sir Ben Kingsley. A once-promising actor, Slattery made his MCU debut in 2013’s Iron Man 3, in which he played the faux Mandarin. He was abducted by the real Asian warlord in the short film All Hail the King and resurfaced as the ruler’s “court jester” in 2021’s Shang-Chi. Now, as explained by Kingsley, Trevor is back in Tinseltown trying to revive his career when he crosses paths with Simon.
Of course, while Slattery is a key player in this story, this is primarily Simon’s journey, and I’m interested in seeing how everything plays out for him. He may not care much about his powers, but he still has to try to land the coveted role in the Wonder Man movie remake in a Hollywood that’s shutting out those with powers. Not only that, but Williams also has to avoid the Department of Damage Control, which isn’t a fan of metahumans. Seriously, what’s a super-powered performer to do?
We’ll just have to wait and see what lies in store for Simon, but Andrew Guest’s recent comments only make me more eager to watch his MCU-set show. Wonder Man’s trailer suggests it’s a meta offering that provides commentary on the superhero movie-flooded entertainment landscape, and it’ll be cool to see how Simon navigates it. Check out the show when all eight episodes debut for Disney+ subscription holders on January 27 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
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