Marvel Set Photos Confirm A MCU Phase 5 Series Is Happening After Cancellation Rumors

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown into a huge, amorphous entity that constantly changes shape as the necessities of storytelling, cast and crew changes, reshoots, and scheduling adjustments dictate. At this point, there are so many canceled Marvel movies we'll never get to see that they could form a pretty huge cinematic universe by themselves, and if it wasn't hard enough to keep track of the big-screen side of the equation, the Disney+ MCU shows add a whole bunch of series in the mix. 

Take "Wonder Man," which Marvel had to stop filming because of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Little news of the project has surfaced since then, and it's easy to think that the MCU might have scrapped the relatively little-known superhero's signature series altogether. X (formerly known as Twitter) user @douglaszaldaa certainly thought so until they found out that the show is not only still filming — it's doing so very, very close to them. 

I thought they canceled #wonderman but they are filming outside my job 😳#wandamaximof you are getting a new man 😯 pic.twitter.com/y5WLWu4fAf

— Duglitas (@douglaszaldaaa) January 12, 2024

The set photo depicts a colorful and somewhat cheesy alien landscape, which may be in-universe set decor. After all, the titular character is both a superhero and an actor. Interestingly, it also shows a dark cardboard cutout figure that has the Wonder Man logo on its chest, though it remains to be seen whether this is a first look at the hero's costume or simply a decorative element or a stand-in. Other images posted by @jack_whiteman7 show production trucks and what appears to be the Regency Village Theatre showing a "Wonder Man" movie." Judging by this, Marvel's "Wonder Man" is still coming together nicely despite the chatter about the series getting canceled. 

In the comics, Simon "Wonder Man" Williams is an extremely strong superhero who doubles as a superstar actor. He also has connections to numerous interesting characters who are already in the MCU — including Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), whose father gave Simon his powers in the comics, Vision (Paul Bettany), and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). It's currently unclear whether such ties make the transition to live action, but the set photos seem to confirm that Mr. Williams' acting gig is going to be an important element of the show.

What we do know about "Wonder Man" is that it brings Yahya Abdul-Mateen II into the MCU. The actor is very familiar with superhero projects as he's played Manta in "Aquaman" and its sequel, and won an Emmy for his portrayal of Dr. Manhattan on Max's "Watchmen." His role as the titular character of "Wonder Man" marks Abdul-Mateen's first foray into the Marvel side of things, and he's in good thespian company; Ben Kingsley will also be there as the MCU's most infamous actor, Trevor Slattery. 

While Marvel still keeps the show's full cast, premiere date, and other details close to the chest, it's good to know that the show is progressing. After all, regardless of what else happens in "Wonder Man," Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley have the acting chops to give fans a memorable experience.