Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Wonder Man's Superpower Is
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- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II portrays Simon Williams in Marvel's 'Wonder Man,' a role he says mirrors his own early-career feelings of having 'so much to offer and no one knows that I'm here' — a moment he experienced about a year before graduating acting school.
- Abdul-Mateen II initially knew nothing about the Wonder Man source material and signed on because of director Destin Daniel Cretton ('Short Term 12,' 'Just Mercy'), telling Kevin Feige he had 'one Marvel buck to spend' and wanted to reveal his comedic side.
- Abdul-Mateen II says he read the first two scripts before committing and found them 'funny' and tonally different from other Marvel projects, with the writers' collaborative openness convincing him his voice would be reflected on screen.
- The actor spends his spare time watching YouTube reaction videos of fans discovering the show, saying everyone from podcasters to 'the doorman at the building where I work' sees themselves in Simon's dream of being seen.
- Abdul-Mateen II describes the show's 'superpower' as simply being human, arguing that 'in a world where we are told to be perfect,' portraying a superhero who is 'incredibly human' is what makes the character resonate.
- On set with Sir Ben Kingsley, Abdul-Mateen II calls the experience a 'masterclass, every single day' with 'no ego involved,' saying it reminded him he is 'still Simon Williams' with more to learn.
- Ten years into his career, Abdul-Mateen II — now an Emmy and Tony winner with his own production company — says he is 'recalibrating' and wants his next decade of work to explore love, heartbreak, and failure with humor.
Why it matters: For Marvel, the show's audience reach matters: Abdul-Mateen II describes watching reaction videos of people across professions connecting with Simon's dream of being seen, signaling that the studio's tonal bet on an indie-inflected, character-driven superhero series is landing beyond its usual fanbase. For the actor personally, the role gave him room to publicly claim the comedic register he says Hollywood hadn't seen from him yet — a positioning move backed by a Tony, an Emmy, and a new production company he plans to use to platform other artists.
