Marvel actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II said the public perception of Marvel’s recent cancellations is clear, noting that Disney and Marvel likely want to avoid the optics of ending series with Black leads. In a Vanity Fair interview, he said his series Wonder Man was cancelled despite having quality story, resources and positive audience response, and he called for a thorough review of the decision. The cancellation followed the earlier shelving of the Blade film starring Mahershala Ali, whom Ali said in July that Marvel had him under contract and could have produced the movie if it wanted to. Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest expressed surprise, saying the team had contracts, schedules and a planned production timeline before Disney and Marvel decided the project no longer made sense. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige acknowledged feeling like a failure over the Blade delay. The remarks come amid broader fan criticism that Marvel’s recent choices have created an appearance of bias.