Yahya Abdul-Mateen II says Kevin Feige helped convince him to take on Wonder Man, with the actor explaining he wanted to make sure his first Marvel role was the right one.
Speaking with Josh Horowitz, Abdul-Mateen said the pitch for the Disney+ series was not about doing the usual “big superhero thing.”
Instead, Marvel told him Destin Daniel Cretton would shoot Wonder Man more like one of his indie projects, with the focus on Simon Williams as an actor who cares about the craft.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Wanted To Talk To Kevin Feige
Abdul-Mateen said he liked the pitch and wanted to work with Cretton, but before saying yes, he needed to speak directly with Feige.
“I need to speak to Kevin,” Abdul-Mateen recalled saying, explaining that he wanted to understand the bigger picture before jumping into the MCU.
The actor said he told Feige that he only gets “one Marvel dollar to spend,” and he wanted to spend it the right way.
Abdul-Mateen made it clear that saying yes to Wonder Man was a major gamble because he respects what Marvel does and did not want to waste his shot.
He even told Feige that if this was not the right time, he would wait for another role down the line.
Feige Told Him Wonder Man Was “A Dollar Well Spent”
According to Abdul-Mateen, Feige reassured him that Wonder Man would be worth it.
“He let me know that it’ll be a dollar well spent,” Abdul-Mateen said.
The actor also told Feige he wanted audiences to see a different side of him.
“People don’t know that I’m funny,” Abdul-Mateen said, adding that Feige agreed with him. That became part of the draw for the role, as Wonder Man gave him the chance to show more colors as a performer instead of simply stepping into a traditional superhero part.
Abdul-Mateen said making the role count was important to him, and the reception to the show for those that watched appears to have backed up that gamble.
Wonder Man Season 2 Is Happening
True to Kevin Feige’s words, Marvel has already renewed Wonder Man for Season 2, with Abdul-Mateen returning as Simon Williams and Ben Kingsley back as Trevor Slattery. Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest are also returning for the second season.
Abdul-Mateen said he has not had detailed Season 2 talks with Cretton yet, noting that Cretton is busy in “Spider-Man World” while he has also been working on other projects.
Still, the actor said “the band is getting back together,” and he trusts the creative team to figure out where Simon goes next.
Abdul-Mateen Wants Simon Williams To Get A Little Power
As for what he wants to see in Wonder Man Season 2, Abdul-Mateen teased a darker and more interesting direction for Simon Williams.
He said Season 1 showed Simon before he became a star, while he was still chasing the fame, success, and recognition he wanted. What interests Abdul-Mateen now is what happens after Simon actually gets it.
“What happens when he really gets a little bit of fame and notoriety and attention,” Abdul-Mateen said, adding that he wants to see what Simon does when he can make changes to scripts and gets “a little bit of power.”
The actor then pushed the idea further, asking what Simon becomes once he starts rising in Hollywood.
“Have we created a monster?” he said, before adding that watching Simon climb high and “get burnt by the sun a little bit” would be exciting.
