Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Marvel Television’s newest leading man, starring in the titular role of the new Wonder Man series.
In a unique, character-driven approach to an MCU narrative that’s outside the norm, Mateen plays Simon Williams, an actor-turned-superhero with iconic powers.
“When this project came to me, it was conceived as a two-hander. Sir Ben Kingsley was already involved,” co-creator Andrew Guest told Blavity’s Shadow and Act.
“We were trying to figure out who Simon Williams was, but I knew it was really going to be about a relationship between these two guys. So thinking about those times in your life when you are the most open to having some random person come in, when you feel like an outsider. The idea that Simon really didn’t have many friends, or none, growing up, to me, that made him sort of ripe to have a real, meaningful relationship with Sir Ben as Trevor Slattery.”
Inspired by Midnight Cowboy, a story about friendship more than anything, the brotherhood between Mateen’s Simon and Kingsley’s Trevor showcases the power of connection while also highlighting its nuances.
How Mateen relates to Simon on a personal level
A former city planner in San Francisco after studying architecture at UC Berkeley, Mateen felt a personal draw to his character.
After being laid off from his job, the actor decided to pursue his acting hobby more seriously, eventually attending the Yale School of Drama and launching his career in 2016.
“What I love about sharing who Simon is [is that] I relate to the nerves, and I’ve been recently admitting that to myself,” he told Blavity. “I said, ‘Oh, I relate to that,’ which, honestly, I have not always related to. But it’s been something that’s sort of new.”
He added, “What I am blessed to have that Simon does not have yet is the ability to calm himself through that storm, and to be kind to himself. To be a working, successful actor—I mean, I’ve won awards—and I still have moments of uncertainty. Why? Why wouldn’t I? I don’t know what the future holds, and I think I also enjoy walking into that unknown as a part of my responsibility, even though it is fearful. So I think that’s just what it’s like to be a creative and to be ambitious and have courage about your process.”
Paying homage to the people who opened the door to Sir Ben Kingsley’s career
At age 82, Kingsley spoke about the gratitude that comes with reflecting on his long career and the kindness of others.
“A lot of who Trevor is, I think, at his heart—he’s a kind man. And there were people, when I started out as an actor, who were tremendously kind and encouraging, and I’m forever grateful to them for that. And I did infuse my character, my performance as Trevor, from people who were kind to me,” he said.
“I think there are gestures where Trevor says to Simon, ‘Calm down.’ I don’t think people ever told me to calm down. I think they told me to wake up,” he added. “But yeah, he’s a kind man, and there was great kindness in my early career.”
What’s next in Simon and Trevor’s bromance?
When asked where they’d like to see the characters go next—especially after the cliffhanger in the series’ eighth episode—Kingsley chuckled and said, “Space,” with Mateen nodding in agreement, saying, “Let’s roll with that.”
“I love the way that both of these characters, over the course of the show, learn to look outside themselves just a little bit—just enough,” said co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton. “In their intersection with each other, they bring out the best in each other and teach each other, through crazy circumstances, how to love something outside of themselves.”
“So what’s to come of them in the future? They’re still going to be these two neurotic, bumbling people who will likely have another giant dream to chase and will likely be colliding with things from their past that they haven’t dealt with. But seeing them do that and stumble through together is just so fun, entertaining, and also just feels so relatable to me, so I’m very excited.”
Wonder Man is now streaming on Disney+.
