Marvel officially reveals a brand new Wonder Man following the MCU’s hit relaunch. The MCU’s Wonder Man show, airing on Disney+, has brought renewed attention to Simon Williams, the former villain who became an Avenger before going onto become a big-time actor. The show, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, has been an unexpected hit for Marvel as well.

Wonder Man has been a pillar of the Marvel Universe since the 1960s. Introduced as a villain early in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Avengers, Wonder Man lay dormant until the 1970s, when he was revived. Now completely reformed, Wonder Man joined the Avengers, and remained a member in good standing for many years.

Now, with mainstream audiences discovering Wonder Man for the first time, the character has been on the comeback trail in comics as well. He recently appeared in the Avengers Assemble series, as part of a more proactive team of Avengers, alongside other MCU greats like Shang-Chi. And now, Marvel has revealed even bigger plans for Wonder Man.

A New Wonder Man is on the Horizon

Marvel’s New Wonder Man is Shrouded in Mystery

As announced on Bleeding Cool, as part of their ComicsPRO coverage, Marvel announced a new Wonder Man title. No creative team was announced or cited in Bleeding Cool’s coverage, but it is worth noting the book will follow the adventures of a new, Black Wonder Man. Who this character is, and how they become Wonder Man was not revealed.

The new incarnation of Wonder Man is designed to take advantage of the attention the character’s MCU show is bringing him. When casting Wonder Man, the showrunners went with Abdul-Mateen II. As usual, the move was greeted with derision by some sectors of fandom, but these criticisms were promptly silenced when the show debuted.

Bleeding Cool notes this is not the first time Marvel has race-swapped a character because of the MCU. A younger, Black version of Nick Fury was introduced in the comics, as a response to Samuel L. Jackson’s MCU version, which was, oddly enough, based on the Ultimate incarnation of the character, appearing in comics by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch.

Marvel’s New Wonder Man Spins Out of Ultimate Impact Reborn, But What is It?

How Marvel will introduce its new Wonder Man is still up in the air as of right now. However, when the publisher announced the new Wonder Man, it also revealed he would debut in Ultimate Impact Reborn. Again, details on the event are mum, but it promises to rejuvenate the heroes of Earth-616.

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It is most likely Marvel will introduce a new character, who will take up the mantle of Wonder Man. In the instance of Nick Fury, the new version was the son of the original, who also grew up to be a world-class spy. His father was, in a sense, “kicked upstairs” by taking over the Watcher’s role.

Wonder Man is a Powerful Hero, and the New Version Has Big Shoes to Fill

Wonder Man Was a Great Addition to the MCU

Regardless of who holds the title of Wonder Man, he will be one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe. Wonder Man’s energy-based abilities make him a formidable member of the Avengers. Foes as diverse as Korvac and the Grim Reaper have run afoul of Wonder Man and were sent packing every time.

Wonder Man’s television show proved him a worthy addition to the MCU. Abdul-Mateen II brought Simon Williams to life, imbuing the character with genuine pathos. Fans fell for Wonder Man and his struggles to be both a Marvel hero and an actor, and now a version, more in line with the MCU incarnation, is set to debut.