It has been a busy past couple of days for the MCU. With its myriad of announcements coming out of the D23 expo in Anaheim, fans have a lot to look forward to when it comes to Marvel Studios. However, one project was noticeably absent from the D23 stage: the upcoming Wonder Man series.
The show is set to take on the glitz and glamor of Hollywood within the MCU, and while not much is known about the Wonder Man, it has been noted that "Ben Kingsley will reprise his Shang-Chi role of struggling actor Trevor Slattery" in the project.
Kingsley is most famous (or infamous in some fans' minds) for his work as the Mandarin in 2013's Iron Man 3. After it was revealed that he was in fact not the iconic Iron Man villain in that film, he returned years later in Shang-Chi to much acclaim. Now the actor is set to reprise his Marvel role yet again and has shared his thinking going into Wonder Man.
Wonder-Man Actor Wants to "Surprise and Refresh"
Speaking to Variety on his upcoming return to the MCU in Wonder Man, Trevor Slattery actor Sir Ben Kingsley broke down his thoughts on coming back for his third Marvel Studios project.
The actor said that he sees it as his duty as "an artist and a craftsman" to "constantly surprise and refresh," when returning to a part one has already played. And he hopes that with Wonder Man and beyond he can " continue to constantly surprise and refresh:"
"As I said earlier, I think that if I may humbly speak as an artist and a craftsman, I think our role is to constantly surprise and refresh. So I hope that I continue to constantly surprise and refresh."
Not Just Another Marvel Studios Performance
As a veteran of the acting business, Sir Ben Kingsley knows that one can not rest on their laurels even when returning to a role they have already spent time in. And that is demonstrated in his above quote stupendously.
The actor knows that as audiences become more and more familiar with both a character and the world they inhabit, it is on the create to "surprise and refresh." This makes it so the general viewing public is still on their toes and excited no matter how many times they come back to the franchise well.
This refreshment attitude is something that Marvel has thrived upon with the MCU. To think, 29 theatrically released movies and weight streaming series in, and fans still are itching for their next dose of this super-powered universe. Marvel Studios have managed to keep things fresh all these years later and it is mostly because of creatives (like Kingsley) that have this "surprise and refresh" mantra taped above their door frame.
Kingsley understands that, yes in this new Disney+ series fans will be greeted by a familiar face in Trevor Slattery, but he and the team behind the series have to do everything in their power to make sure that this is not the same old Slattery.
Wonder Man is currently still in early development.
