Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is staying busy.
Fresh off starring in Marvel’s “Wonder Man” series for Disney+, the actor gets to sink his teeth into one of the more underrated characters portrayed by Denzel Washington: John Creasy.
On Tuesday (Mar. 10), Netflix revealed the trailer to its upcoming adaptation of “Man on Fire,” based on two novels from writer A.J. Quinnell. The seven-part series launches on April 30 and shows Mateen already in his brooding, yet mysterious ways as Creasy, who travels to Rio de Janeiro in search of self and redemption following multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan that have left him with PTSD. When things get hectic down in Brazil’s capital, the man with many skills plots to avenge the death of his only friend while protecting said friend’s daughter from the evil forces that ripped her family apart.
“Let me be very clear. You’re not gonna survive this,” Mateen’s Creasy tells no one in particular. It’s one of only a few lines the distinguished actor has in the trailer.
In 2004, the film adaptation of “Man on Fire” hit theaters with Washington starring as Creasy. The film made more than $130 million at the global box office, more than twice its budget, and is hailed as one of the sneaky good action films of Denzel’s post-“Training Day” career.
Netflix’s adaptation features Mateen along with a well-rounded cast including Billie Boullet, Bobby Cannavale, Alice Braga, Scoot McNairy, and Paul Ben-Victor. Quinnell’s books, starting with 1980’s “Man on Fire,” have seen four sequels: 1992’s “The Perfect Kill,” 1993’s “The Blue Ring,” 1994’s “Black Horn,” and 1996’s “Message From Hell.” The Netflix series is based on “Man on Fire” and “The Perfect Kill.”
In 2024, Mateen was tapped to play John Creasy for the series, and at one point, filming was halted when he suffered a minor hand injury on set.
