Marvel Studios is reportedly eying a DCEU star to bring Wonder Man to life in the MCU.

Sorry to disappoint all the Nathan Fillion fans out there, but it looks like he won’t be playing Wonder Man after all. The latest gossip—which has been spot-on accurate as of late—suggests that Marvel Studios has snagged a DCEU actor for the role. No, it’s not Henry Cavill. Instead, it looks like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who impressed as Dr. Manhattan in HBO Max's Watchmen series and as Black Manta in Aquaman, will likely be the MCU’s Simon Williams.

Famously, the sci-fi actor extraordinaire and nerd culture icon, Fillion, was officially cast as Simon Williams for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Of course, he wasn’t going to speak as the superhero/actor. Fillion posed for photos that were used to create posters for Simon’s fictional movies. Unfortunately, those scenes with the posters in the background were left on the cutting room floor.

Casting someone of Fillion’s stature in the part would suggest that more was planned for the character outside of his GOTG 2 cameo. When Marvel announced that a Wonder Man Disney Plus series was in development. Naturally, fans assumed that Fillion would finally get his moment in the sun as a character he seemed born to play. Alas, that will not be the case. 

As much as Fillion would have brought to the role, Abdul-Mateen is nonetheless a solid choice. When fans get their first look at him, they’ll be happy, and that will cause these keys to get a quick boost.

AVENGERS #9

Anytime there is Marvel or DC spec, there’s only one place to turn for the major key: the first appearance. 

Avengers #9 has been hot since WandaVision left a trail of breadcrumbs for Wonder Man leading to the show announcement. It culminated with a $10,000 sale for a graded 9.2 in June, which has been the highest grade sold this year. More recently, a 6.0 brought $480 earlier this month, but that is a far cry from the $700-$850 it was earning over the summer.

MARVEL PREMIERE #55

While you are tracking down those Wonder Man keys, you’ll want to put Marvel Premiere #55 on the list. Nearly 20 years after his debut, Simon would get his first starring role in a solo story in this 1980 issue.

Since he’s not a mainstream character, the prices are not too insane, but they are going up. The last two 9.8s to sell online brought $567 and $500 in July and September. Before that, a copy sold for $700 in June.

AVENGERS #52

Speaking of WandaVision’s allusions to Wonder Man, don’t overlook Grim Reaper’s first appearance. His helmet was strategically placed in the animated opening sequence that inspired a short-lived speculative wave for Avengers #52. While the WandaVision showrunners were intent on trolling and frustrating audiences with their wasted Easter eggs, it’s hard to imagine a Wonder Man series without his villainous brother in the mix. 

As luck would have it, prices are down. On October 11, a graded 8.5 went for $197 after it was selling for as much as $350 in the spring. We haven’t seen a 9.8 trade hands online since one brought $3,800 in April, so it will be interesting to see where that price lands the next time a copy is up for grabs.

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.