Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Superhero Movie & TV Roles Ranked (Including Wonder Man)

This article contains spoilers for "Wonder Man" season 1.

"Wonder Man" marks Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's grand Marvel Cinematic Universe entrance, and what a debut it is. The actor does a great job playing Simon Williams, an immensely superpowered man who couldn't care less about superheroics. Together with recurring MCU comic relief-slash-decoy villain Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), Simon embarks on a journey that ends with him becoming the notorious superhero Wonder Man ... in an in-universe movie about the character.

It's a fun twist on everything we know about Wonder Man in Marvel's comic books, as well as a neat departure from Abdul-Mateen's own previous ventures into the superhero genre. As fans of the actor may know, he previously played a pair of other, radically different superhero-adjacent characters before he started rocking those red Wonder Man glasses. But how does his turn in the MCU compare to his previous work? Let's find out by ranking Abdul-Mateen's superhero movie and TV show roles.

James Wan's fun "Aquaman" and its sequel, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," are big, bold DC Extended Universe romps that feature Jason Momoa as Arthur "Aquaman" Curry. Meanwhile, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Arthur's most dedicated human enemy, David "Black Manta" Kane, who runs a pirate operation with his father, Jesse (Michael Beach), and starts a blood vendetta against the half-Atlantean hero after Aquaman's interference causes Jesse's death. He then proceeds to craft a special suit, allowing him to face Arthur on semi-even terms and menace him across both of Wan's movies.

While the "Aquaman" films are decidedly unserious for the most part, Abdul-Mateen's role is an interesting mixture of tragedy and villainy, and he portrays Manta with his heart on his sleeve. As such, a character whose silly design could have easily turned into a joke has a genuinely menacing air whenever he appears. 

Damon Lindelof's 2019 HBO miniseries "Watchmen" focuses on different generations of superheroes in the dystopian universe that's based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' comic series of the same name — but hits uncomfortably close to home. Ostensibly a sequel series that takes place over three decades after Moore and Gibbons' comic book saga, its various timelines explore vigilantism both before and after the original story's events, as well as racist violence through the lens of the dark real-life history of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  

One big question that lingers throughout HBO's obsession-inducing take on the iconic "Watchmen" comic is the fate of Doctor Manhattan, the only truly super-powered entity in this continuity. Late in the game, it turns out that we've seen him all along — in fact, he's been hiding in plain yet surprising view as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Cal Abar, the gentle husband of the show's main character, Angela "Sister Night" Abar (Regina King).

Playing what's effectively the dual roles of the human Cal and the incredibly detached and borderline omnipotent Doctor Manhattan requires a lot from an actor, and Abdul-Mateen aces both parts. It's a nuanced portrayal that's enough to raise both the character and the actor's performance(s) above Black Manta ... but there's still one superhero project that got a better turn out of Abdul-Mateen.

Yeah, there's no denying it — Simon Williams reigns supreme. Perhaps it's because Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is front and center on "Wonder Man," or maybe it's because he gets to play off an Academy Award winner. It could also be simply because "Wonder Man" really is a thoughtful, character-driven show that allows Abdul-Mateen plenty of room to breathe and build his character. It's plain to see that the actor has an absolute blast on the show ... which is no surprise, seeing as "Wonder Man" is the kind of project that directly references controversial Best Picture winner "Midnight Cowboy." 

Abdul-Mateen's commitment to his role is palpable. He relishes in bringing the unsociable but talented Simon's worst traits to the forefront at least as much as he clearly has a great time portraying the character's entertaining preparation work and assorted personal quirks. Abdul-Mateen is not creating a superhero or a villain, here — he's creating a living, breathing person. For this reason alone, Simon Williams belongs at the top of this list.

"Wonder Man" season 1 is streaming on Disney+.