'Wonder Man' may be canceled, but Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's big year isn't over

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Set us as preferred When Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was cast in Marvel’s “Wonder Man,” it was just the latest smash for an actor who’s enjoyed a string of them.But the moment also made him reflect on the days, not long ago, when success hardly seemed guaranteed.

“‘Wonder Man’ came out at the 10-year anniversary of me graduating from Yale Drama,” he recalls over Zoom from New York.“I remember being in those classrooms: ‘Nobody knows that I’m here.

But as soon as I get out in the world, everybody’s going to know.’”Before Yale, he’d been on a different career path.He received his undergraduate degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, working in city planning until he got laid off, which, along with the death of his father, prompted him to pursue his true love: acting.

When his time at Yale was over, he felt raring to go.“I turned 29 on my first job,” says Abdul-Mateen, laughing as he voices his impetuous younger self: “I’m young, I’m handsome, I got something to say, put me to work!”Recently turned 40, Abdul-Mateen has certainly let the world know who he is, collecting an Emmy as Doctor Manhattan in HBO’s reimagined 2019 “Watchmen” series and earning a Tony nomination for the 2022 revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog.”He’s now nominated for an Emmy for lead actor in a comedy series for “Wonder Man,” playing Simon Williams, a struggling actor hiding the fact that he has superpowers, which would get him barred from the industry.

Droll and thoughtful, “Wonder Man” is Marvel’s most grounded offering yet, largely eschewing spectacle to focus on the insecurities of a guy who fears he’ll never get his big break.Ironically apropos given its subject matter, after our interview but before publication, Disney+ canceled the series, which it had initially renewed for a...