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At first, Wonder Man<\/em> seemed like an oddball choice for a Marvel Studios TV series. The title character hadn\u2019t appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before, and the other main character was\u2026 Trevor Slattery, the faux Mandarin, who\u2019d previously popped up in Iron Man 3<\/em> and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings<\/em>. But when the show arrived in January, fans realized Wonder Man<\/em> was exactly what the MCU needed: a funny, heartfelt tale of an unlikely friendship that plays out against the backdrop of Hollywood and secret superheroes.<\/p>\n Three big reasons the show worked so well: Oscar winner Ben Kingsley returned as Trevor. Shang-Chi<\/em> director Destin Daniel Cretton (who has Spider-Man: Brand New Day<\/em> coming in July) co-created and co-directed it. And Yahya Abdul-Mateen II played the role of struggling actor James Williams, aka Wonder Man.<\/p>\n In real life, Abdul-Mateen is about as far from a struggling actor as you can get. He rose to fame almost immediately after breaking out a decade ago, appearing in Black Mirror<\/em>, Watchmen<\/em>, Aquaman<\/em> and its sequel, Candyman<\/em>, The Matrix Resurrections<\/em>, and more. One of the few roles he wasn\u2019t<\/em> cast in, apparently, was M\u2019Baku in Marvel\u2019s Black Panther<\/em>, which went to his fellow Yale School of Drama graduate Winston Duke.<\/p>\n In the latest episode of Josh Horowitz\u2019s Happy Sad Confused<\/em> podcast, Abdul-Mateen talked about how even after not getting Black Panther<\/em>, he was still interested in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, he wanted to carefully approach his way into that world, and he wasn\u2019t sure at first when Wonder Man<\/em> came along.<\/p>\n \u201cThe pitch was \u2026 they\u2019re gonna do it kind of differently. Dustin is gonna shoot it like he shoots his indies. It\u2019s gonna feel kind of different. We\u2019re not gonna go after the big superhero thing,\u201d Abdul-Mateen recalled.<\/p>\n The character Marvel wanted him to play was also part of the pitch. Simon Williams, Abdul-Mateen was assured, \u201ccares about acting. He cares about the craft. He\u2019s a little strange, but we think that he\u2019s relatable. We would love to have someone who\u2019s passionate about acting.\u201d<\/p>\n With that information\u2014and because he wanted to work with Cretton\u2014Abdul-Mateen was intrigued. But he wanted to talk to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige before making a decision, to ask about the \u201cbig picture.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to have a conversation with him to say\u2014not necessarily, \u2018Where is this gonna go?\u2019 I didn\u2019t flat-out ask that question\u2014but I said, \u2018This sounds like a great opportunity, but I only get one Marvel dollar to spend \u2026 and I want to make sure that I spend it well.’\u201d<\/p>\n In other words, he wanted to make sure this was the right Marvel role for him to take. \u201cI wanted to have that conversation with him to say, \u2018Me saying yes is a huge gamble because I really, really, really like what you all do. So if this isn\u2019t the time for me to say yes, let me know because I will sit to the side and wait until it makes sense.’\u201d<\/p>\n Fortunately, Feige \u201clet me know that it\u2019ll be a dollar well spent\u201d and mentioned that Wonder Man<\/em> would offer Abdul-Mateen a way to show off his comedic side, something he hadn\u2019t really gotten to do in previous projects.<\/p>\n Fast-forward to now, and Wonder Man<\/em> is a hit with a second season in the works. While Abdul-Mateen couldn\u2019t reveal much about what we might see Williams up to next, he\u2019s excited to explore how the character will evolve now that he\u2019s found the fame he was seeking.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he gets a little bit of power \u2026 what is he going to become? Have we created a monster?\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s cool to watch somebody want something, then [become] a star, and then you\u2019ve got to let him rise as high as he can go. And let him get burned by the sun a little bit. But his ascent is pretty exciting for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n