Wonder Man's Mysterious MCU Powers Origin: Is He A Mutant?

3 days ago 3

Published Jan 31, 2026, 8:30 PM EST

Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.

With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.

Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Marvel's Wonder Man

Wonder Man has quickly become one of the MCU’s most well-received shows on Disney+. However, there's one big question that remains about Simon Williams and his impressive (and secret) superpowers.

Marvel's Wonder Man has been highly praised for its unique and character-driven story, featuring an impressive level of emotional depth with a very grounded approach. Likewise, the series made the interesting choice to not provide an origin for Wonder Man's superpowers, though there's likely a pretty exciting reason why.

How Wonder Man Gets His Powers In The Original Marvel Comics

Simon Williams' Wonder Man using his superpowers in Marvel Comics

In Marvel Comics, Simon Williams gained his powers after he was freed from jail by Baron Zemo. Simon subsequently agreed to undergo various treatments from Zemo using ionic rays. The result was Simon's body becoming infused with ionic energy, granting him an impressive array of superpowers including super-strength, near invulnerability, and flight.

Zemo's intention was to have Simon join and infiltrate the Avengers as his spy, taking the name Wonder Man. However, Simon ultimately chose not to betray Earth's Mightiest Heroes, becoming a genuine hero himself in the process.

Overall, Simon's original comic origins were always going to be difficult to translate directly to the MCU, especially in this post-Infinity Saga era, and with Zemo himself also having a different MCU depiction. That said, Marvel's new Wonder Man series made the surprising choice to not reveal the alternative origin for Simon's powers in the MCU.

We Still Don't Know How The MCU's Wonder Man Got His Powers (Is Marvel Studios Making Him A Mutant?)

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II As Simon Williams Sitting On His Couch Surrounded By A Mess In Wonder Man

Marvel Studios confirms by Wonder Man's ending that Simon's powers are also based on ionic energy. However, we simply don’t know where Simon Williams’ powers came from to begin with. All we're told is that there was an unexplained fire when Simon was 13 years old, and that his powers can violently surge when he loses control of his emotions.

Overall, that sounds an awful lot like an X-gene activating, which does happen during puberty in the Marvel Universe. Seeing as how we already know mutants and the X-Men are coming in the wake of the Multiverse Saga, it wouldn't be surprising if Marvel Studios elected to make Simon Wiliams a mutant in the MCU as well.

This would also mirror Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel, who was also reclassified as a mutant at the end of her own MCU series.

While it hasn't been directly confirmed just yet, Wonder Man's potential mutant status does feel likely. Showrunner Andrew Guest teased as much, saying that they left the question unanswered for now so fans could have the mutant debate following the new Marvel show. As such, it seems as though time will tell if the MCU's Wonder Man is indeed a mutant or not.

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