As an MCU fan, it is going to be fascinating to watch the next couple of years for the franchise. As Marvel Studios rolls through its theatrical and streaming calendars, new heroes have been making themselves known at a clip never before seen from the Hollywood monolith (i.e Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, and Moon Knight). And that does not seem to be stopping as rumors of a Wonder Man series start to percolate.
Wonder Man (a.k.a. Simon Williams), who was initially introduced as a villain on the comic page, is a superhero bemused with ionic energy. The character has strong ties with characters like the Scarlet Witch and Vision, and has appeared on numerous occasions as a part of the Marvel superteam The Avengers.
Simon Williams has yet to appear in the MCU, despite having been seemingly set to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Now, after whispers of a mystery Disney+ project from Shangi-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton, Wonder Man is ready to finally may his Marvel Studios debut.
Wonder Man Joins in on the MCU Fun
The Hollywood Reporter unveiled plans for a Wonder Man Disney+ series from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton and Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Community writer Andrew Guest within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Development is early on the project, but filming could start as soon as 2023. Previous reports billed this series as a comedy, with Variety writer Joe Otterson claiming it could be a "Hollywood satire".
Meet Simon Williams
Despite not having the name recognition of someone like Spider-Man and Captain America, Wonder Man is still a longstanding personality in the world of Marvel Comics. The villain turned hero made his debut back in 1964, as Simon Williams is imbued with superpowers after being forced to take on the Avengers in order to keep his family's company afloat.
It will be interesting to see what sort of origin Wonder Man is given in the MCU and, of course, who will get the honor of playing the character. If Marvel Studios does take the origin as it was on the page, it could be cool to see another villain who eventually turns. And even calling Williams a villain is a bit of a stretch. He is simply someone who is forced into a situation because of his circumstances. But from there, he does break good, becoming the hero fans know today.
As for who could play the iconic hero, the name Evan Peters has popped up in a couple of conversations. Insiders have hinted that Marvel Studios is not yet done with the Ralph Bohner actor. And seeing as Wonder Man is closely tied with Wanda and Vision on the comic page, it would make sense if the character came back after first appearing in WandaVision. It would require a bit of careful narrative finagling, but it feels like Marvel could potentially pull it off.
However, all that is so far away, as Wonder Man is still very early in development with no public release timeline.
