Is Simon Williams a Mutant? How Wonder Man Got His Powers

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Now available on Disney+, this new series offers a fresh perspective on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Created by Destin Daniel Cretton, the director known for Shang-Chi and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it focuses more on characters and relationships than typical superhero action. The show centers on the unexpected bond that forms between Simon Williams, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Trevory Slattery, played by Sir Ben Kingsley.

Though Wonder Man isn’t the typical action-packed superhero story audiences expect from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it still takes place in a world full of heroes, villains, and extraordinary abilities. The main character, Simon Williams, possesses powers he’s determined to hide. The Disney+ series doesn’t fully explain the origin of these powers, but it suggests that this version of the character might be revealed as a mutant.

Is Wonder Man a Mutant in the MCU?

When we first encounter Simon Phillips in Wonder Man, he already possesses a range of powers, including the ability to control ionic and electromagnetic energy, super strength, and flight. However, he rarely uses them, fearing public exposure due to a past incident involving the Doorman. Flashbacks suggest Simon has had these powers since childhood, even accidentally starting a kitchen fire with them when he was thirteen.

Simon confesses he has no idea how he got his powers. Unlike most superheroes, his abilities weren’t the result of an accident or a cosmic event – they simply appeared on their own. This suggests Simon might be one of the earliest mutants we see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In Marvel comics, mutants are people born with superpowers thanks to a special gene. Unlike many other heroes and villains, they aren’t powered by accidents, experiments, or outside forces. Typically, a mutant’s powers begin to appear around the time of puberty, much like when Simon Williams first discovered his own.

As a longtime Marvel fan, I’ve seen them tweak character origins before, and it looks like they’re doing it again with the whole mutant thing. We saw it with Ms. Marvel – Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan – who’s traditionally an Inhuman in the comics, but was revealed to be a mutant in the show. Along with characters like Namor, they’ve officially made the leap to being mutants within the MCU, and now it sounds like Simon Williams might be next!

How Does Simon Williams Get His Powers in the Comics?

Okay, so let’s talk Wonder Man. A lot of people assume he’s a mutant, but that’s actually not the case in the comics. He’s what Marvel calls a ‘mutate’ – meaning his powers came from external forces, not from being born with the mutant gene. Before he became the hero we know, Simon Williams was a big shot, running a weapons company that was basically trying to put Stark Industries out of business. Things went south when he was caught stealing from the company, and that’s when he got involved in… well, let’s just say a strange experiment.

Baron Zemo’s experiments drastically changed Simon Williams, turning his body into pure ionic energy. With these newfound abilities, he joined Zemo’s scheme to pose as a hero named Wonder Man and get close to the Avengers. However, Wonder Man eventually realized Zemo was wrong and decided to become a genuine hero. He successfully thwarted Zemo’s plan, saving the Avengers, but appeared to sacrifice himself. It was later revealed that he hadn’t actually died, paving the way for his return in future stories.

I’ve been following the development of Wonder Man in the MCU, and it seems they’re taking a really interesting approach to his origins. It’s not quite the story I remember from the comics – they seem to be drawing more from his later appearances, where he’s this famous actor with superpowers. Seeing how much they’ve already changed things, I wouldn’t be surprised if they eventually reveal he’s a mutant too. It feels totally open to that possibility, and I’m excited to see where they go with it!

Wonder Man is a promising new hero for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his arrival might signal exciting things to come. With more mutants appearing in the MCU, it’s possible Simon Williams could become one of them, potentially paving the way for the introduction of the X-Men.

All episodes of Wonder Man are now streaming on Disney+.

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2026-01-29 21:36