Who is Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the magnetic lead of the series Wonder Man?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, star of Ambulance, Aquaman and the terrifying and political Candyman, is establishing himself as a compelling actor. Athletic, magnetic, and full of self-deprecating humor, the American actor plays the lead character in Wonder Man, a new Marvel series premiering on January 28, 2026, on Disney+.

By Violaine Schütz.

Published on 29 September 2021. Updated on 29 January 2026.

We still remember with emotion his sultry dance moves in the excellent disco-themed Netflix show The Get Down (2016), produced by Baz Luhrmann. The American actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, 39, played Clarence “Cadillac” Caldwell, a borderline gangster whose mother runs a popular Bronx nightclub and a major drug operation. Playing this dangerously sexy nightlife prince, the 6’3’’ actor proved to the world that his flexibility bordered on elasticity.

It is precisely his talent for extremes that has become his signature and helped propel him to the ranks of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. His role as the new lead in the Marvel production Wonder Man (2026) is the climax. All this, despite his unwavering refusal to compromise on his choice of roles… Or shorten his last name, depite the film industry strongly urging him to do it when he was starting out.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, an actor discovered in the series The Get Down

Born in 1986 in New Orleans to a Muslim father and a Christian mother, Yahya Abdul-Mateen initially chose a path away from the silver screen. Although he admired Denzel Washington as a child, he mostly dreamed of becoming Michael Jackson. In high school, the youngest son of a large family navigated multiple worlds. He excelled in his football team, played chess with the geeks, and was even crowned prom king.

After earning a degree in architecture from the University of California at Berkeley, he briefly worked as an urban planner in San Francisco… Until he was fired. Luckily, the acting classes he had taken on a whim during college opened a new path for him. The sharp, determined man was accepted into the prestigious drama program at Yale and began performing on stage. But the theater wouldn’t keep him for long… Just one year after his explosive screen debut in The Get Down, his chiseled physique and expressive face were everywhere.

From Baywatch to The Matrix

Sculptural, charismatic, deeply human, the actor can play absolutely anything. He can navigate from The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2017), a Sundance drama about a vanished writer, to the action movie Baywatch, in which he portrayed a police officer. Perfectly at ease in the deep waters of mainstream cinema, he lit up the flamboyant musical The Greatest Showman (2017), alongside Hugh Jackman, and left a strong impression in the blockbuster Aquaman (2018).

In this aquatic comic book adaptation, he embodies Black Manta, the sworn enemy of Jason Momoa‘s character, a vengeful figure with a piercing stare and painful past. This darker, more menacing side doesn’t faze Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. He also appears in Jordan Peele’s horror film Us (2019) and in the gothic, cyberpunk Matrix Resurrections (2021), alongside Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. In this last chapter of the saga, Yahya Abdul-Mateen takes on the role of the iconic hacker Morpheus – originally played by Laurence Fishburne – whose style continues to inspire the fashion world.

Acclaimed roles in Watchmen and Candyman

Since he won an Emmy Award in 2020 for his role as a stay-at-home husband to a vigilante fighting white supremacists in the series Watchmen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has the luxury of choosing his projects. He often lets his fight against racism guide his decisions, shaping an intentional career. On Twitter, the actor doesn’t hesitate to share his anger and pain when a Black man is shot by a white police officer. The same political commitment is obvious on screen, where he brings these issues to the forefront.

In Candyman (2021), a chilling film in which he plays the protagonist, the viewer is witnessing first-hand racial inequalities and the gentrification of poor neighborhoods in the U.S. Before that, the American actor, who sees his work as a mission, starred in social narratives, such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Black Mirror.

The lead in the new Marvel series Wonder Man

In an effort to maintain this level of exigence, the star of the powerful The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) had planned on taking a break in 2021. He wanted to spend more time with his family and friends outside the industry. But his roles in two major productions – Michael Bay’s Ambulance (2022) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) – kept him too busy to enjoy any downtime in the New York loft he dreams of buying someday.

This year, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is back with a major project. The actor stars in the new acclaimed Marvel series Wonder Man, available on Disney+ since January 28th. In this meta, self-conscious take on the superhero genre, which refreshes the classic narrative, he embodies Simon Williams, a Hollywood actor and stuntman struggling to make a place for himself in his career. Yet, an encounter with a once-famous actor sets him on a path leading to a role as a superhero in a remake of Wonder Man, directed by a cult filmmaker.

Following this satirical dive into the behind-the-scenes world of Hollywood, the charismatic Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will appear in three highly-anticipated productions. First, the series Man On Fire, then the thriller I Helped Destroy People starring Michael B. Jordan, and finally, David Fincher‘s infamous Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood 2, starring Brad Pitt.