The former “Mandarin” could be back in his Iron Man 3 role as Trevor Slattery. 

Thanks to a report in Variety, we’ve learned that actor Ben Kingsley is set to again reprise his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The actor, known for classic roles Gandhi, Sneakers and Sexy Beast plays the tragic comic part of actor Trevor Slattery. His King Lear was the toast of Croydon, apparently!

While the character, who posed as the villain of Iron Man 3, came back for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, it seems he may be on firmer ground here; rumours suggest that Wonder Man, the upcoming MCU television show for Disney+, is taking the form of a Hollywood satire.

Wonder Man

If it takes the character’s backstory from the comics, Wonder Man should follow the story of Simon Williams. He’s the son of a wealthy industrialist whose company falls on hard times due to competition from Stark Industries. To fight back, the villainous Baron Zemo gives Williams ionic superpowers including super strength and durability. After coming up against the Avengers on several occasions, Wonder Man eventually joined their ranks.

Later iterations of the character saw him leading the West Coast Avengers and working as an actor and stuntman. Obviously, we’re on for some changes with Tony Stark no longer around. However Baron Zemo, last seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, could still play a part. Quite how Tony Slattery fits into the picture? We’re not sure, but likely to make for an entertaining story!

Andrew Guest (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community) is head writer on Wonder Man. He already has a Marvel credit too, as a consulting producer on Hawkeye.

The show’s executive producer is Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton. As well as potentially returning to write and direct a Shang-Chi sequel, he’s set to helm the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty movie too.

We’ll keep you posted on Wonder Man – and Tony Slattery.