Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is the latest actor to make the jump from DC to Marvel (or vice versa). The Aquaman star has just been cast in the title role for Marvel Studios‘ Wonder Man series.
According to Deadline, Abdul-Mateen will play Simon Williams, who in the comics is “the son of a wealthy industrialist whose company falls on hard times due to competition from Tony Stark’s Stark Industries. As a result, Williams accepts an offer from villain Baron Zemo that gives him ionic superpowers including super strength and durability.” The character has been depicted as both an enemy and ally of the Avengers.
Wonder Man was first announced in June 2022. So far, Ben Kingsley is the only other confirmed cast member. He will reprise his Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi role as thespian Trevor Slattery.
Abdul-Mateen is best known in the superhero sphere for his work on HBO’s Watchmen and in the Aquaman franchise, portraying David Kane/Black Manta opposite Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry/Aquaman. No word yet on when Wonder Man will release on Disney+.
Meanwhile, in DC casting news, Cristin Milioti has signed on to play the female lead opposite Colin Farrell in The Penguin, an upcoming HBO Max limited drama series set in the same universe as Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
Milioti will play Sofia Falcone, who is the daughter of John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone. The Penguin will see Sofia fighting with The Penguin (Farrell) for control of the city. Sofia Falcone is a fairly obscure comic book character, and by that I mean that she hasn’t appeared much, appearing only in two Batman stories — Batman: The Long Halloween and its sequel Batman: Dark Victory.
For those unfamiliar with Milioti, she is perhaps best known for playing “The Mother” in the final season of How I Met Your Mother. Other credits include The Wolf of Wall Street, Palm Springs, Made for Love, and The Resort.
The Penguin does not have a release date on HBO Max yet. We’ll keep you posted.
What are your thoughts on these castings?
