Who Is Wonder Man And How Can He Fit Into The MCU?
Image Source: Fandom Wire
Over the years many villains have filled the pages of Marvel Comics and in that time those villains have appeared in all shapes and sizes. Some have been evil to their core and will always remain that way, while others have come to see the light. One character who falls into the latter is Wonder Man, and according to reports, this evildoer turned hero is ready to transition from comic pages to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). So..... Who is he?
Simon Williams A.K.A Wonder Man was born into wealth as the son of a successful industrialist. His life however took an unexpected turn in his early twenties after his father passed and the responsibilities of the family business, Williams Innovations, were thrust upon him. With little to no experience running a large corporation, it wasn’t long before things began to go bad and Simon decided to seek advice from his elder brother Eric Williams, also known by his criminal alias, The Grim Reaper. Naturally, Eric steered Simon down a bad path, which led to him attempting to embezzle money from his own company and resulted in his arrest. Blinded by his own despair, Simon refused to own up to his actions instead choosing to blame his shortcomings on the success of his competitors. One rival however Simon blamed above the rest, the head of Stark Industries, Tony Stark.
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Image Source: Screen Rant
Due to Simon repeatedly professing that Tony Stark was to blame for his downfall he garnered attention from Baron Zemo, an enemy of Iron Man and the Avengers. Seeing Simon as a weapon to be used against the Avengers, Zemo took advantage of Williams in his vulnerable state and was convinced to not only join Zemo but to undergo experimentation as well. After intense radiation and chemical treatments, Simon was imbued with superhuman strength and invulnerability. With his new abilities, Simon set out on a mission to infiltrate the Avengers and destroy them from the inside. His first task was to gain their trust, which he did thanks to a staged fight. Once living in the Avengers mansion as a member of the team, Simon led his new allies into an ambush by Zemo and his Masters of Evil. However, in the end, when it came down to it, Simon was riddled with guilt and gave his life to save the team. Fortunately for Williams, thanks to his body's increased durability instead of dying for good, he simply fell into a coma.
Image Source: Marvel
Wonder Man eventually returned and went on to have numerous additional adventures with, and sometimes against, the Avengers. These adventures included siding with Tony and the pro-registration movement during the Civil War storyline, being part of Hawkeyes West Coast Avengers, and having a very complex relationship with Scarlet Witch and The Vision. With all that being said, where does Simon fit into the MCU? Now in its fourteenth year, the MCU has several heroes and villains that have already had their stories too. Due to this a character such as Simons, that has a backstory so closely connected with members of the Avengers that are sadly no longer with the team could present a challenge. This is why I think it is likely that when he makes his debut it will be with the majority of these events already in the rearview. It may sound ridiculous to introduce a character with most of their more exciting life events behind them but given some of the MCU’s most recent projects it may make perfect sense.
Phase four has been all about expansion within the MCU's main universe and the multiverse at large. Part of that expansion has been showing how the world has adapted to having powered individuals as a new norm and also showing how powered individuals lead their day-to-day lives in this new world. In Ms. Marvel, Kamala’s parents did not shun her abilities but instead approved and revered them. In She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Jennifer has no interest in being a superhero but combines her old and new life while heading up a superhuman law division, which gives us an even deeper look into a society with superpowered people. Simon Williams could fit right in with this character section of MCU. As mentioned previously he was part of Hawkeye’s West Coast Avengers, but the only reason he was on the west coast was that he moved to LA to take advantage of his invulnerability by taking jobs as a stuntman and eventually as a full-blown actor. If Marvel Studious chooses to center the Wonder Man series around this period of Simon's life they can further show how enhanced individuals live everyday lives, while still leaving the door open to explore the connections he has with the MCU characters that are still around, and those who have yet to be introduced.
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Source(s): Marvel, Marvel Fandom