Netflix’s episodic adaptation of A.J. Quinnell’s Man on Fire sets Aquaman and Candyman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as its lead.

Netflix‘s Man on Fire is ready to turn up the heat with Yahya Abdul-Matten II as its lead. In addition to his starring role, Abdul-Mateen II is an executive producer of the project, with Steven Caple Jr. directing the first two episodes. A.J. Quinnell’s first two novels, “Man on Fire” and “The Perfect Kill,” inspired the episodic adaptation focusing on French Foreign Legion soldier John Creasy.

Denzel Washington played John W. Creasy in the Tony Scott-directed feature adaptation Man on Fire. Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, and Marc Anthony round out the primary cast. The plot focuses on a former CIA operative who swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.

Netflix’s official description for Man on Fire reads as follows:

“Once a high functioning and skilled Special Forces Mercenary, known for surviving even the most desolate of situations, Creasy (Mateen) is now plagued with intense PTSD. Determined to overcome his personal demons, he sets out on a path to redemption. But, before he can adjust to this new life, he finds himself back in the fire, fighting harder than ever.”

Kyle Killen (Fear Street) is the writer, executive producer, and showrunner.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a gifted actor with many notable roles across various film genres. He plays the villain Black Manta in DC’s Aquaman and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Morpheus in the underrated sequel The Matrix Resurrections. He also plays a man named Cal Abar in HBO’s Watchmen and Anthony McCoy in Nia DaCosta’s brilliant horror sequel Candyman. I highly recommend watching Bernard Rose’s Candyman and DaCosta’s sequel back-to-back for a hell of a ride.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Simon Williams in the upcoming Disney+ series Wonder Man. Wonder Man also stars Lauren Glazier (Mindhunter, Gone Girl, Tales of the Walking Dead), Sir Ben Kingsley (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Iron Man 3), and Stella Meghie (The Photograph, The Weekend).

Wonder Man is one of Marvel’s oldest characters, dating back to 1964 in the pages of Avengers #9. He began his comic book career as a villain but got reintroduced as a hero in the late 1970s. Wonder Man’s civilian name is Simon Williams, and he was a founding member of the Los Angeles-based West Coast Avengers. As an actor and stuntman, Williams’ look included wearing a turtleneck, a red jacket, and sunglasses. Wonder Man strongly relates to Marvel characters Vision and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. The trio shared several adventures, with Wonder Man and Vision thinking of each other as brothers in action. After Vision was dismantled, the villain-turned-hero developed intense feelings for Wanda.

Are you interested in an episodic adaptation of Man on Fire starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II? Have you read any of A.J. Quinnell’s novels? Let us know in the comments section below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.