The train that is theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) just keeps chugging along. 2025 will mark the beginning of Phase Six of the MCU. This phase will bring a whole new slate of superhero projects, beginning withThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsmovie. Phase Six will also include other highly anticipated projects, such asAvengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars,anuntitledSpider-Man: No Way Homesequel, and theWonder Manminiseries on Disney+, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the titile character.
“Wait a minute, who the heck is Wonder Man?”, you may be asking yourself. And it’s a legitimate question. Wonder Man isn’t a well-known superhero in the Marvel universe. Who is this guy? What are his powers? What’s his story? Let’s find out before he joins the MCU in December 2025.
Wonder Man
10His Secret Identity Is Simon Williams
Every superhero has a secret identity. Bruce Wayne and Batman. Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Clark Kent and Superman. Wonder Man’s secret identity is Simon Williams, which will also be his name in the Disney+ miniseries.
He’s the son of rich industrialist Sanford Williams, who owns the munitions factory, Williams Innovations. Simon inherits the company after his father’s death. Kind of sounds like Tony Stark, doesn’t it? Speaking of Tony Stark…
9Tony Stark Nearly Put His Company Out of Business
We all know Tony Starkas the reformed weapons manufacturer and billionaire playboy, who dons a superpowered suit to become Iron Man. But what you might not know is that Stark Industries was Williams Innovations' biggest competitor.
Tony’s company proves to be more successful and nearly puts Williams Innovations out of business. This leads Williams down the path to the dark side. He’s caught embezzling money from his company and is sent to prison, where he blames Tony for his situation. Will the miniseries touch on Williams' past with Tony? We’ll have to tune in to find out.
5 Major Ways the MCU Is Course Correcting in 2025
The MCU’s 2025 outlook looks promising. They have clearly noted some issues plaguing the franchise and are course-correcting in the following ways.
8He’s Introduced as a Supervillain
Marvel Comics didn’t introduce Wonder Man as a superhero. Desperate and blaming Stark for his incarceration, the powerless Simon makes a deal with the villain Baron Heinrich Zemo.
In return for getting his bail paid and being released from prison, Simon agrees to become a pawn in Zemo’s master plan to infiltrate the Avengers andbecomes a supervillain. Based on the trailer, it seems like the miniseries will be taking a different route, since Williams claims that he doesn’t know how he acquired his powers. Or is this a Wolverine-like mystery that will eventually reveal a dark past that Williams has forgotten?
7His Superpower Is Ionic Energy
You’re probably asking yourself,What can Wonder Man even do?After making his deal with Zeno, Williams undergoes chemical and radiation treatments with ionic energy, which transforms him into an ion-powered superhuman. What does that mean? Wonder Man is imbued with superhuman speed, stamina, durability, agility, and strength that’s comparable to Thor. The guy is so strong that he wins in a fight withthe Red Hulk. Wonder Man is also nearly immortal and invincible, even though he dies several times in the comics. But hey, so did Superman.
Further down the line, Wonder Man is able to transform into a state of pure ionic energy, shifting between human and energy states at will. Perhaps most notably, he’s capable of energy projection, allowing him to emit force or flame beams from his hands and eyes. This causes his eyes to glow bright red, and like Cyclops, Wonder Man usually conceals the effect with sunglasses. He also achieves the ability of flight and teleportation; can absorb various forms of energy; can go without air, food, or water; can manipulate his physical shape and size; and can potentially give superpowers to non-powered individuals via ionic force.
Is there anything this guycan’tdo? Based on the trailer, it seems like Wonder Man will possess many of these abilities, including energy projection, flight, and transforming into an energy state.
6He Has History with the Avengers – as an Enemy and as a Member
Wonder Man has a spotty history with the Avengers. As mentioned earlier, he’s initially recruited and given superpowers to infiltrate the Avengers for Zeno, so the master villain can destroy them. Wonder Man successfully joins the Avengers and lures them into a trap. But he betrays Zeno at the last moment and ends up helping the superhero team, an effort that brings about his first death in the comics. When he’s later revived, Wonder Man joinsthe Avengers as an official member.
But over the years, Wonder Man becomes a vocal opposer of Marvel’s iconic superhero team, claiming that they hurt more lives than they actually help. He eventually aligns himself with the Avengers again, though it’s a rocky road to get there. Is it possible that we’re looking at a future Avenger in the MCU?
5He Helps Form Several Superhero Teams, Including the Revengers
Wonder Man helps form a few superhero groups in the Marvel comics. Thinking they need to expand their influence, Hawyeye creates a new superhero group called the West Coast Avengers, a branch of second-tier Avengers based in San Diego. The group includes Hawkeye himself, Wonder Man, Mockingbird, Tigra, and Jim Rhodes' Iron Man. Later on, believing that the Avengers do more harm than good, Wonder Man forms a superhero group that’s meant to stop the Avengers. Their name: the Revengers. Led by Wonder Man himself, the Revengers consists of second-tier superhumans like Anti-Venom, Atlas, Captain Ultra, Demolition Man, and Goliath.
4He’s an Actor
There’s a reason why Wonder Man winds up on the West Coast. He develops an interest in acting and moves to Hollywood to become a professional actor. And it seems like this is something that will carry over intothe Disney+ miniseries.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be playing Simon Williams, an actor who’s trying to land the role of Wonder Man in a superhero television series. Quite the meta move by Marvel.
3His Brother Is the Grim Reaper
Simon Williams also has a brother, Eric Williams. Nothing too special about that, right? Except for the fact that his brother happens to be supervillain by the name of Grim Reaper.
No, he’s not the actual Grim Reaper, as inthe personification of Death(that’s another character). But he is a necromancer and an enemy of Wonder Man. The Grim Reaper will appear in the Disney+ miniseries and will be played by actor Demetrius Grosse.
2He’s Close Friends with X-Men’s Beast
What do you do when your brother turns out to be a supervillain? You become best friends with a blue, furry mutant. That’s right. Wonder Man’s best friend is none other than Beast fromX-Men.
The two have appeared in numerous storylines together over the years.WithX-Menfinally being integrated into the MCU, will the powers that be give us this bromance and pair Wonder Man with Beast in a live-action storyline?
Marvel Phase 5: Every Entry, Explained
Here is a breakdown of all the movies and television series that will make up Phase 5 of the MCU and the next chapter in the Multiverse Saga.
1He Dates the Scarlet Witch
Beast isn’t Wonder Man’s only close companion. He falls hard for none other than Wanda Maximoff, better known as the Scarlet Witch. He confesses his love for her but is rejected when the Scarlet Witch admits that she only sees him as a friend. See? Even superheroes aren’t invincible from the dreaded Friendzone. This rejection leads to a period of bitter resentment, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Sort of.
Following her separation from Vision in the comics, Wonder Man and Scarlet Witch strike up a steamy romance and become an on-again-off-again couple. The last time we saw the Scarlet Witch was inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.Despite her death,there are plans to bring the character back to the MCU. Will she finally he move on from Vision and strike up a romance with Wonder Man?
