Ben Kingsley Hopes His MCU Return in Wonder Man Series Is a ‘Surprise’ and ‘Refresh’

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ben Kingsley plays the role of Trevor Slattery, a washed-up actor recruited to pose as menacing villains like The Mandarin in “Iron Man 3.” And soon after making a cameo appearance in “Shang-Chi,” Kingsley is set to return to the bumbling character in a new Disney+ series “Wonder Man,” about the longtime Avenger and aspiring actor.

“If I may humbly speak as an artist and a craftsman, I think our role is to constantly surprise and refresh,” Kingsley told Variety film and media reporter Rebecca Rubin about his role. “So I hope that I continue to constantly surprise and refresh.”

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Kingsley stopped by the Variety Studio presented by King’s Hawaiian at the Toronto International Film Festival to promote his new film “Dalíland,” the festival’s closing film. Directed by Mary Harron, the film focuses on legendary surrealist artist Salvador Dalí during the final years of his life, with a focus on his tempestous relationship with his wife and muse Gala (Barbara Sukowa). Speaking about his process of playing the dying artist, Kingsley revealed that acting in the film and portraying Dalí’s life was a full-bodied process.

“When we examine the later years of his life, which were, I believe, underpinned by a terror of mortality, and then you balance that with the fact that he accepted in a rather unnarcissistic way, that he was a genius, rather like Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear,’ how do you examine the departure from life of a genius, of a great force?” Kingsley said. “I had between action and cut, to be as reckless, as daring and uninhabited as Dalí with his painting and his writing.”

“Dalíland” will premiere at TIFF Sept. 17. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

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