Marvel Studios Just Unveiled Its Grim Reaper - And He's Not What We Expected

Marvel Studios' take on the Grim Reaper was nothing like what fans expected. The MCU continues to expand its roster of major villains in Phase 6, including some of the most powerful antagonists ever drawn up in Marvel Comics history. The first of these new bad guys came in the MCU's first new release of 2026, changing fans' expectations for the immediate future.

Demetrius Grosse made his MCU debut in 2026's Wonder Man as Eric Williams, who was introduced as Simon Williams' brother. He was featured in two of the series's eight episodes, giving depth to Simon Williams' background and adding plenty of drama to the titular superhero's life.

While there was love between Eric and Simon, Eric chided his younger brother for focusing too heavily on his career in Hollywood and not being there for his family. Episode 3 showed the two of them arguing at their mother's birthday party, which ended with Simon destroying the island in her kitchen.

In the final episode, the two share a more emotional moment after attending the premiere of Simon's Wonder Man movie. Eric praises Simon for his work and expresses excitement for his career before telling him not to "forget the little people" in their hometown now that he is "a big shot."

This is a vastly different depiction of Eric than what fans saw in the comics. There, Simon's brother was a Maggia enforcer whom Simon approached to get revenge on Tony Stark. He eventually becomes a supervillain and a necromancer, receiving a mechanical scythe from the Tinkerer to help him defeat the Avengers.

In Wonder Man, none of this comic history was shown or even teased, as he showed no signs of having any extra abilities or an inclination towards being a superpowered individual. The rivalry between him and Simon Williams was shown only at a family level, through their relationship as brothers, rather than having them work together or fight each other as hero and villain.

Wonder Man was the first MCU project released in 2026. Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sir Ben Kingsley, Arian Moayed, Demetrius Grosse, and Zlatko Buric, the show highlights Simon Williams' journey to be cast in the MCU's Wonder Man reboot movie while hiding his status as a powered person. All eight episodes of Wonder Man are streaming on Disney+.

Will Grim Reaper Be Realized in the MCU?

As of writing, Marvel Studios has no official plans for Wonder Man Season 2, though the team behind the show already has ideas for where the story could go. Should new episodes become a reality, this could give Marvel the chance to explore Eric Williams' villainous side, a recurring theme in Wonder Man comics.

Something would have to happen to strain Eric and Simon's relationship further, as they seemed to mend things fairly well in the final moments of Episode 8. However, something as simple as Simon becoming a criminal to break Trevor Slattery out of prison could lead to a divide between the two brothers.

That kind of move could anger Eric enough to want to put his brother in his proper place. Even so, it is unclear who he could team up with to accomplish that goal or how he would end up getting the superpowers for which he is known in the comics. While this or other storylines are still unconfirmed and/or in development, Eric's established place in the Wonder Man series positions him perfectly to be Simon's first true villain on his superhero journey.