Yahya Abdul-Mateen II addresses 'Wonder Man' cancellation: 'The optics are obvious'

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred “Wonder Man” star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has addressed the recent discussions regarding Marvel’s track record on projects led by Black actors after the abrupt cancellation of his show.“I think the optics are obvious,” the Emmy award-winning actor told Vanity Fair in an interview published Thursday.

“If I’m a big business, if I’m Disney, if I’m Marvel, I don’t want to be attached to these optics.So it should be a priority to change that narrative and to do what it takes to responsibly change that narrative with quality stories, with quality resources.” In “Wonder Man,” Abdul-Mateen portrayed Simon Williams, a struggling actor with superpowers that he had to keep secret so he could work in Hollywood.

The grounded series — more a love letter to Hollywood than superhero spectacle — was well-received by critics and fans.But just weeks after Abdul-Mateen was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the show, “Wonder Man” was canceled despite the announcement that the series had been picked up for a second season back in March.

Awards The recent cancellation of Marvel’s ‘Wonder Man’ may put a damper on the actor’s Emmy campaign, but he still has Netflix’s ‘Cliff Booth’ movie to look forward to.Abdul-Mateen was told that the decision “had something to do with the viewership numbers.” “I wasn’t told what those numbers were, but ultimately, for whatever reason it was, I think they decided that it didn’t make sense for business, and that’s the decision that we live with and we keep on marching forward,” the actor said to Vanity Fair.Marvel’s abrupt reversal on “Wonder Man” invited scrutiny from fans who had also noted how “Blade” had been stuck in development for years.

The film, which had been announced in 2019, was set to star Mahershala Ali as ...