Marvel’s Wonder Man Series Not Scrapped, Will Be Made Under New Marvel Spotlight Banner

Good news for Wonder Man fans! Despite recent rumors about the project being canceled, it appears the series is still on track and will be part of Marvel Studios’ newly announced “Marvel Spotlight” banner. In April of this year, filming of the show, announced back in 2022, began, but shortly after it had to be paused like all major Hollywood productions due to the actors’ strike. It was hoped that filming could resume this month, but recent reports indicated that the series had been scrapped. This did not come as a surprise, since in recent weeks Marvel Studios has announced many changes for the future, especially for their television productions. Several project, including Daredevil: Born Again, have suffered delays in order for the studio time to refocus.

In the midst of so many changes, the studio released the first trailer for Echo, the Hawkeye spinoff that will inaugurate a new banner within the MCU called Marvel Spotlight, which will focus on more mature, grounded stories, putting the character’s development as their top priority. And it seems that Wonder Man will be part of this new batch of stories.

According to Deadline, the series will join Echo in this new banner, which will surely also include Daredevil: Born Again. Filming is expected to resume after Thanksgiving, so it may be able to get a 2024 released date. This would definitely be good news for Marvel Studios, considering the few releases they will have available for next year, at least on the big screen.

Wonder Man will star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the titular hero, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams, Ed Harris as Neal Saroyan, and Lauren Glazier in an undisclosed supporting role. The story centers on Simon Williams, an actor and stuntperson who is imbued with ionic energy and develops superpowers. He was originally introduced as a villain, but eventually became a hero and joined the Avengers on several occasions.

Related: Wonder Man Fan Art Imagines Yahya-Abdul Mateen II as the Marvel Superhero

Although he only started acting in 2016, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has already built a solid career on screen. And Wonder Man would be another big step towards establishing himself as a big Hollywood star. His first project was in Baz Luhrman’s acclaimed series, The Get Down, playing Clarence “Cadillac” Caldwell.

In 2017, he made the leap to the big screen in three films, The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, Baywatch, and The Greatest Showman. In 2018, he appeared in an episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, and three other movies, First Match, Boundaries, and Aquaman, where he played the villain Black Manta, a role he will reprise in the sequel, which premieres on December 22, 2023.

The film starring Jason Momoa is not his only experience in the world of comic books, since in 2019 he was part of the cast of the Watchmen series. His filmography includes other notable titles, such as Black Mirror, Ambulance, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Matrix Resurrections, and the remake of Candyman where he played the leading role.