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Ben Kingsley returning to MCU as Trevor Slattery in Destin Daniel Cretton's 'Wonder Man' series
Kingsley originated the character back in Iron Man 3 almost a decade ago.
It seems as though Sir Ben Kingsley won't have to wait another decade for his next appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Variety brings word that the Oscar winner will reprise the part of wannabe actor and knockoff Mandarin, Trevor Slattery, in Destin Daniel Cretton's upcoming Wonder Man television series on Disney+.
News of Kingsley's involvement represents the first major casting announcement for the project, which is heavily rumored to serve as "a Hollywood satire," much in the same way She-Hulk: Attorney at Law riffs on the courtroom procedural format. In the comics, Simon Williams/Wonder Man gives up his spot on the Avengers to pursue an acting career in Hollywood, although he eventually ends up in the role of a stuntman.
The fan favorite Slattery — who first appeared all the way back in Iron Man 3 — resurfaced in last year's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which confirmed that the character was taken prisoner by the titular terrorist organization for the crime of impersonating their leader, Wenwu (Tony Leung). Instead of executing him on sight, however, the Ten Rings decided to keep him around for regular comedic performances.
"It was a really nice surprise to know how much he really cares about this character," explained Cretton, who directed and co-wrote the Phase 4 film, last September. "Even though in a lot of senses, he is playing the Shakespearean clown of our movie, the depth that he puts into that performance, it's amazing. It's amazing how serious he takes the comedy, and it shows. He gets some of the biggest laughs in the movie because I think it's so rooted in the character work that he does."
Around the same time, Kingsley described Trevor as "a great survivor and a great adapter ... one that can empathize, transform, and adapt in order to tell a story. I think that Trevor's ability to tell a story and to adapt and to empathize is perhaps a tool for life that he didn't quite realize he had until he gets into that extraordinary environment at Ta Lo and that journey towards Ta Lo. He suddenly has an authority that perhaps he didn't realize he had in the first place."
The filmmaker, who currently enjoys an overall production deal with Marvel Studios, is also confirmed to write and direct a sequel to Shang-Chi, as well as the next big Avengers crossover event: The Kang Dynasty (slated for a wide theatrical release on May 2, 2025).
Looking for more sci-fi? The entire run of SYFY’s Battlestar Galactica is streaming now on Peacock, along with the second season of Resident Alien, which returns to SYFY this fall with new episodes.
