Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Marvel and DC Projects Face Setbacks

After the negative backlash against DC’s Aquaman 2, the film’s antagonist, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, has encountered another setback. Abdul-Mateen was set to play the titular Marvel superhero in the upcoming Disney+ series, Wonder Man. However, an insider has now reported that the project might be scrapped as part of Marvel’s scaling back on its television projects.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Rumors had suggested the involvement of Ben Kingsley, Ed Harris, and Demetrius Grosse in significant roles within the series. Marvel’s Wonder Man explores the story of Simon Williams who is a superhero-cum-Hollywood actor.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Scrapped Marvel Project Serves As A Major Blow To His Career

Wonder Man in Marvel Comics
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II played the ruthless mercenary, Black Manta, in the 2018 DCEU film, Aquaman. The mid-credits scene of the film hinted at Abdul-Mateen playing a major role in the film’s sequel. The trailer of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom further confirmed that it’s going to be an Aquaman v. Manta showdown in the film. In addition to his role in the Aquaman sequel, The Trial of the Chicago 7 actor was also cast in Marvel’s Wonder Man on October 22.

However, Joanna Robinson, the author of the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, revealed on The Watch podcast that she had heard rumors about the cancellation of the planned Wonder Man project. The work for the series was in progress before it was interrupted by the writer’s strike. It is also notable that Marvel had never officially announced the series.

This is not the only project the higher-ups are reconsidering. Earlier, Daredevil: Born Again faced a similar setback when the project was brought back to the drawing board after filming had begun, with the writers and director being replaced. The Wonder Man series had a strong team, including the director of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Destin Daniel Cretton, who is also reportedly directing Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

While these developments still remain mere speculation, they couldn’t come at a worse time for Abdul-Mateen, as his DC project is also facing some troubles.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Aquaman 2 Doomed To Fail Due To Amber Heard

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta in Aquaman
While the fate of his Marvel project hangs in the balance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II isn’t having much luck with his DC project either. Criticisms have piled up against the Jason Momoa-led film for retaining Amber Heard as Mera. In 2022, Heard faced the wrath of social media and movie lovers after the infamous Depp v. Heard trial. The Never Back Down actress was largely vilified for damaging Johnny Depp‘s career.

In the wake of the trial, there were calls for her removal from the Aquaman sequel. While Heard’s scenes were largely removed from the movie, the decision was made not to fire her. More recently, it was alleged that Heard was kept in the movie after a scorched-earth letter from her former boyfriend, Elon Musk, threatened to “burn down” the studio (via Variety).

While the fates of his Marvel and DC projects may be unrelated, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II finds himself right at the center of both. The Matrix Resurrections actor has also starred as the superhero Doctor Manhattan in the Watchmen series. Even if Wonder Man remains on Marvel’s list of upcoming projects, it is not expected to see the light of day until at least 2025.