The setting for the MCU’s upcoming Wonder Man series creates the perfect opportunity for one character from Phase 4’s Eternals to make an appearance.
One character from Phase 4’s Eternals could make an appearance in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Wonder Man series. A series focused on Marvel Comics’ Simon Williams, a.k.a. Wonder Man, was reported to be in development in June 2022, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton attached as co-creator, along with Hawkeye’s Andrew Guest, after entering into a multi-year deal with Marvel Studios. While Sir Ben Kingsley will be reprising his MCU role of Trevor Slattery, and Lauren Glazier has been cast in an unknown role, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be taking on the role of Wonder Man himself.
In Marvel Comics, Simon Williams debuted during 1964’s The Avengers #9, inheriting the family business after his father’s death, a competition company to Stark Industries. After Williams was caught embezzling funds and incarcerated, Baron Heinrich Zemo offered him superhuman powers in exchange for Williams’ help in defeating the Avengers, transforming Simon Williams into Wonder Man, an ion-powered being with remarkable abilities. After initially infiltrating the Avengers with nefarious purposes, Wonder Man soon joins the team and begins to develop an interest in acting, which Marvel Studios’ Wonder Man series will explore thanks to its Hollywood setting.
Kingo Could Make An Appearance In Wonder Man
The Hollywood setting for Wonder Man makes the upcoming MCU series fertile ground for a multitude of cameos, potentially debuting real-world actors, such as Kevin Bacon, who was already featured as a fictionalized version of himself in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, or in-universe actors such as Iron Man 3’s Trevor Slattery. Exploring what the film industry looks like in a world full of superheroes is a very fun prospect for Marvel Studios, but Wonder Man won’t be the first time they’ve done this. Phase 4’s Eternals proved that superheroism and acting go hand-in-hand, as Kingo had cemented himself as a star of Bollywood for generations.
It’s very possible that Kumail Nanjiani could reprise his role of Kingo for Wonder Man, as Eternals, and subsequent mentions in Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, solidified the Eternal as a global superstar in show business. Wonder Man could see Simon Williams at the start of his Hollywood career, perhaps leading to him seeking advice from those in the upper echelons, which Kingo would perhaps be perfect for, especially since he has superhuman powers too. Kingo has been the most mentioned Eternal since his Phase 4 debut, so it would be great to see him show up once again in Wonder Man.
Why Does Wonder Man Need An Eternal Cameo?
It’s a challenge for any new Marvel Studios series to find strong connections to the wider MCU franchise, which is particularly true for Wonder Man since Simon Williams doesn’t have any direct link to existing Avengers. The series would be lacking a plot device similar to Kamala Khan’s love of Captain Marvel, Jennifer Walters’ familial relationship with Bruce Banner, or Kate Bishop’s idolization of Clint Barton. Kingo’s appearance in Wonder Man would help the series feel at home and would create a link between Williams and the Eternals while also connecting the Eternals to Earth’s other superheroes.
Eternals was perhaps Phase 4’s most divisive project, so continued appearances of the MCU’s Eternals in other projects will help to reassure audiences that the film was actually important to the overarching story. Plot threads from Eternals are rumored to reappear in Phase 5, but Kingo’s cameo in Wonder Man could create stronger connections between Earth’s heroes. An Eternals cameo in Wonder Man could even tease members of the team becoming Avengers in the MCU’s future.
