Ben Kingsley is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Oscar winner will reprise his role as actor Trevor Slattery in Marvel’s Wonder Man project at Disney+, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Marvel doesn’t comment on development.
The potential series, which THR revealed was in development in June, focuses on one of Marvel’s oldest characters, Simon Williams/Wonder Man. He was introduced in 1964 in Marvel Comics, initially as a villain, but was reconceived as a hero in the 1970s. Wonder Man was a founding member of the West Coast Avengers in the ’80s, while Williams had a day job as an actor and stuntman.
Wonder Man will mark Kingsley’s fourth appearance in the MCU, following scene-stealing turns in 2013’s Iron Man 3, a follow-up short film and last year’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The latter’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton, is co-creator and executive producer of Wonder Man, along with head writer Andrew Guest (Brooklyn Nine-Nine).
Kingsley’s Slattery is an actor hired to portray villain The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. He then appeared in the 2014 Marvel short All Hail the King, where he was broken out of prison by a member of the Ten Rings organization before turning up again in Shang-Chi.
Kinsgley is repped by CAA, Independent Talent Group and Goodman Genow.
Variety broke the news of Kingsley’s casting.
