While Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have slowed down the pace of upcoming MCU TV shows to fans with Disney+ subscriptions, there are still plenty of high-profile projects that are already confirmed for our future enjoyment. One of the most exciting superhero projects from any studio is the first live-action series devoted to Wonder Man, with Watchmen breakout Yahya Abdul-Mateen II having been cast in the lead role of Simon Williams. It now sounds like things are shaping up behind the scenes ahead of the planned filming start, with another huge cast report indicating that Fear the Walking Dead and Justified vet Demetrius Grosse has joined the show in the role that seems destined to become the MCU’s Grim Reaper.
Following up on rumors that started popping up online earlier in March 2023, TVLine is reporting that Grosse is officially signed up to take on the role of Eric Williams, who’s not only the brother of Yahya Abdul-Matteen II’s Simon, but is also a key Marvel character in his own right. And that comic book history is largely what fans will have to go on at this point, since Marvel and Disney+ are keeping Wonder Man details close to the vest, with neither entity officially confirming the casting news, to be expected.
Without anything more to go on, it’s unclear if Wonder Man will indeed deliver an arc for Eric Williams that sees him taking on the Grim Reaper mantle, but I can’t imagine the Powers That Be will want to shake up the canon too much in this case. The whip smart engineer was first introduced to Marvel readers in 1964, and was the neglected son of the Williams clan, being consistently shunned by his parents in favor of the more beloved Simon.
His initial turn to villainy as the Grim Reaper was relatively grounded, with a crime-centric mindset and tangible weapons crafted by the Tinkerer, such as his signature scythe and its variety of uses. It was later in the Marvel character’s existence when Grim Reaper was granted a more mystical and supernatural power set, with the ability to raise the dead, teleport, and cause hallucinations in others, to name a few.
Stream Fear the Walking Dead Seasons 1-7 now with a Hulu subscription.
Coincidentally enough (or not), Demetrius Grosse is actually somewhat skilled in using blades with longer handles, as one of his Fear the Walking Dead characters utilized a bigass battle axe as his weapon of choice. Which doesn’t necessarily mean that the TV iteration of his character will get a multi-functional scythe in Wonder Man, but it seems silly to consider the show casting an actor with such an intimidating presence without the goal of making him an intimidating villain at some point, even if he may not start out that way.
Because for all the Marvel stories and arcs that pit Grim Reaper against the Avengers and other heroes, there are also certain plots where Eric Williams serves a more protagonistic role, though usually as a means of taking out other villains as opposed to teaming up with the good guy purely for virtuous reasons. As such, I’d expect the Disney+ series to set up the brothers’ relationship in such a way that it’s as impactful as possible when Eric turns to his darker urges. That said, the entire first season might be set up so that the Grim Reaper persona is introduced as a bridge to Season 2. There are plenty of ways to handle it, and the creative team is no doubt working hard on sorting those details out.
Speaking of, the head writer was previously revealed to be Andrew Guest, of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Community fame, with Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton serving as co-developer. (It’s presumed Cretton will also helm one or more episodes, but that detail hasn’t been cemented just yet.) Fans can also look forward to another returning Shang-Chi vet, as Ben Kingsley was previously confirmed to be reprising his MCU role for the new show.
Wonder Man is expected to begin filming this spring, with a release date yet to be revealed, though it likely won't end up debuting as part of the 2023 TV season.
