After serving as a surprise return in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Ben Kingsley is officially slated to make another return to the character of Trevor Slattery in the future. The actor has been announced via Variety to be returning for the Disney+ series Wonder Man. Not much is currently known about what this series will entail, but his return is logical as Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of Shang-Chi, will serve as co-creator and executive producer on the series.
The inclusion of Kingsley in this series plays into rumors that Wonder Man will serve as a satirical look into the Hollywood lifestyle. Being as Simon Williams is a character that has had comic experience as an actor and stuntman, it would make sense for him to interact with a character best known for his oblivious performance as the mysterious Mandarin in Iron Man 3. This plot thread was continued in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in being further established as a Shakespearean-esque actor caught in the high intensity of the plot. It is currently unknown how much of a role Kingsley will have in the series. Both Marvel Studios and Ben Kingsley‘s representation declined to comment on the story.
The character of Simon Williams a.k.a. Wonder Man has a storied history within the lore of the Marvel Universe. Between being a nemesis for Tony Stark on the business and superheroics front, a member of the Masters of Evil, and ultimately a reformed member of the Avengers, there is a large swath of ground that Marvel Studios could choose to cover for a Wonder Man series. Though as mentioned above, the inclusion of Trevor Slattery lends credence that the Disney+ series will lean more towards his era as being based out of Hollywood.
Wonder Man is set to have Andrew Guest of 30 Rock and Community fame serve as the head writer. Meanwhile, this series serves as part of Destin Daniel Cretton‘s overall deal with Marvel Studios that includes Wonder Man, the sequel to Shang-Chi, and his direction of 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Source: Variety
