Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Says “Optics Are Obvious” Of ‘Wonder Man’ Cancellation & ‘Blade’ Reboot Delays: “It Should Be A Priority To Change That Narrative”

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has spoken out about the cancellation of his Disney+ series "Wonder Man" and the delays to the "Blade" reboot. In an interview, he addressed concerns that the decisions may be perceived as unfair treatment of projects led by Black stars. The actor noted that the "optics are obvious" and that Marvel and Disney should prioritize changing this narrative.

The cancellation of "Wonder Man" and postponement of "Blade" have sparked online discourse, with some fans suggesting that the decisions are part of a larger issue with the treatment of Black characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Variety, "Wonder Man" was canceled in July after previously being renewed for a second season. TheWrap reported that Mahershala Ali recently stated that his "Blade" movie with Marvel was no longer moving forward.

Abdul-Mateen emphasized that his show had "quality story, quality resources, quality actors and people" and produced "quality results" that were positively received by viewers and voters, including earning him an Emmy nomination. He suggested that Marvel and Disney should focus on telling "quality stories" to change the narrative.

Brief written by urgent.news from Deadline, Variety, TheWrap — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.