Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is not about to start spilling Marvel secrets, and he’s even less interested in getting ahead of David Fincher and Quentin Tarantino. But speaking on an upcoming episode of The Playlist’s Bingeworthy TV podcast while promoting Netflix’s “Man on Fire,” the actor did offer a little clarity on both “Wonder Man” and “The Adventures of Cliff Booth.” “Man on Fire,” which stars Abdul-Mateen as John Creasy, premieres on April 30, while Marvel officially renewed “Wonder Man” for a second season in March, with Abdul-Mateen and Ben Kingsley both returning.
READ MORE: Marvel Renews’ Wonder Man’ For Season 2 At Disney+
Asked about sharing so much of “Wonder Man” with Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, Abdul-Mateen said the veteran actor made the work easier from the start, and that their scenes were built on mutual admiration and and their love of supportive acting. “Boy, I mean, he makes the job easy,” Abdul-Mateen said. “And he said, ‘Good actors make their scene partners look good,’ you know? And we were just really bouncing off each other, with mutual respect and appreciation for the craft. And, you know, ‘Wonder Man,’ I’m really, really glad to be a part of that. It’s been a great conversation, and people really felt seen in that.”
He added that he hopes audiences feel some of that same connection—and some needed escapism—in “Man on Fire” too. “Hopefully they also feel seen and have a sense of escapism from what we’re giving out today with a ‘Man on Fire’ as well,” the actor said.
When asked whether Simon will start embracing his powers in season two, Abdul-Mateen said he was simply in the dark—and suggested that even if he did, he probably would not be able to say much publicly. “I have no [information]—they don’t talk to me soon enough about these season two decisions,” he said. “But I get the feeling that even if they did, that I’d probably have to play it close to the vest.”
Pressed on whether Simon might appear somewhere else in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before that second season arrives, perhaps in “Avengers: Secret Wars,” or “Avengers: Doomsday.” Abdul-Mateen reiterated that Marvel keeps talent on a need-to-know basis. “No, I don’t,” he said. “I happen to not know.”
That may sound like classic Marvel lockdown, but it’s also consistent with where the show officially stands right now: in development, with co-creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest returning, but without any public plot details beyond the continuation of Simon and Trevor’s story.
He was just as guarded when the conversation shifted to David Fincher’s upcoming “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” the Brad Pitt-led follow-up written by Quentin Tarantino. Abdul-Mateen did not offer any specifics, but he did make clear the experience left an impression. “I always find myself in these situations where, you know, I’m limited on what I can say,” Abdul-Mateen said. “But yeah, I’m excited for when we do get the opportunity to talk a bit more about that. I’d be excited to come back and talk about what that experience was like. It was utterly unique. And yeah, we’ll be excited to share it by the time that we can share it.”
For now, Abdul-Mateen is keeping both projects where the studios want them — under wraps. In the meantime, “Man on Fire” arrives first on April 30, and that is the project he can actually talk about, so more on this interview very soon. — Additional reporting by Mike DeAngelo.
