Sir Ben Kingsley admits he ‘never dreamt’ a return to Marvel

The award-winning actor from Snainton near Scarborough is set to reprise his role as Trevor Slattery in Marvel’s upcoming TV mini-series Wonder Man.

It will be part of phase six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Sir Ben, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his iconic performance in Gandhi in 1982, revealed in an interview with Radio Times: “Trevor is an aspiring actor who never quite hit the spotlight.

“After falling among thieves and posing as a murderous terrorist (in 2013’s Iron Man 3), he is imprisoned, then broken out of prison, and so returns to Los Angeles to try to recreate himself as a serious actor.

“This is my fourth visit to Trevor.

“He is a character that I would never have dreamt would span 15 years of my career.”

First appearing in the 2008 Iron Man film, Sir Ben, 82, went on to portray Slattery in both the 2010 and 2013 sequels.

Now, more than a decade later, the character returns for an eight-part comedy series which will be shown on Disney+ from today (January 27) at 6pm.

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The show centres around Simon Williams, played by American actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who is cast in a remake of a Wonder Man film and navigates the chaotic path to fame alongside Slattery, another struggling performer.

Why did Sir Ben Kingsley get knighted?

Sir Ben was appointed Knight Bachelor in 2002 for his services to the British film industry.

When asked which of his many accolades he valued most, Sir Ben chose his knighthood as the honour he would not part with.

He explained to Radio Times: “My knighthood.

“I revered greatly the late Queen Elizabeth, her father’s nerve and the family’s nerve during the Second World War.”

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Sir Ben received the accolade at Buckingham Palace when he was 58 years old.

At the time, he told Queen Elizabeth after the ceremony that winning an Oscar “pales into insignificance – this is insurmountable”.

In 2010, he was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.