[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Man on Fire Season 1]

Summary

Collider’s Steven Weintraub talks with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for Netflix’s Man on Fire.

Abdul-Mateen II discusses how the Season 1 finale leaves the possibility of a Season 2, and what he hopes to dive into for Creasy going forward.

He also teases Disney+’s Wonder Man Season 2.

Yesterday, Netflix dropped all seven episodes of their Man on Fire series, starring Emmy Award winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The show reimagines A.J. Quinnell’s five-book saga, first adapted to screen with Denzel Washington in 2004, in a way that allows this character to unravel and further explore the complexities that make him an unforgettable action hero beyond a feature-length movie. The series introduces Special Forces Mercenary John Creasy (Abdul-Mateen II), a man once known for his masterful skills and his expert ability to navigate the most grim situations. When we meet him, Creasy is struggling with intense PTSD after a mission gone wrong, which sets him on a path of redemption in hopes of overcoming his past. Before he can escape his demons, however, Creasy is pulled back into the heat after an act of devastation leaves him with no choice. The show also stars Bobby Cannavale, Alice Braga, Billie Boulet, and Scoot McNairy.

Speaking with Abdul-Mateen II, he tells Collider’s Steven Weintraub that, despite the action set pieces and high stakes, preparation for this role was less a physical one than an internal examination of who Creasy is at this point in the story. He discusses where Creasy’s head is at by the end of the season finale, and hints that Episode 7 does leave the potential for a second season, sharing the surprising side of the character he’d be most interested in tackling if given the opportunity. For all this and his clever evasion of Wonder Man Season 2 questions, check out the video above or the transcript below.
Playing Creasy Wasn’t About Getting in Shape at All

“This was a very heady process.”

Image via Netflix

COLLIDER: For all the things you’ve worked on, what is the smallest detail that you’ve obsessed over for a part of your character? YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II: It’s always… The shoes? [Laughs] ABDUL-MATEEN II: Is that what people say? No, Steven (Cable Jr.) told me to bring up the shoes with you for Creasy. ABDUL-MATEEN II: It’s always the shoes. Even in my life, I’m always aware of what my feet feel like inside of my shoes. So the wrong pair of shoes will completely throw me off balance, and the right pair of shoes just lets me know that I can manage the situation. It’s a great place to start. What shoes did you end up with for Creasy? ABDUL-MATEEN II: You know, after all of that, I don’t even remember. After all of that, I don’t even remember, but I fought hard, and evidently, we got the right pair of shoes. Yeah, you did, because you punched people in the face very well. There’s a lot of action on this show, and you are going through it, and I’m so curious, what is it like learning all those moves and staying in that kind of shape for the marathon of, like, a four or five-month shoot? ABDUL-MATEEN II: This one was a little bit different because, you’re right, you do have to prepare the body to be able to undergo the physical asks, but at the same time, I’m playing a character who has let himself go. So this wasn’t about being muscular, being the most fit. This wasn’t about the diet. This was about building a man from the inside out and understanding his personal psychology, his needs, his wants, and his emotional state, setting that aside, and then for myself, building out his physical skills — the boxing, the hand-to-hand combat, the gun training, X, Y, Z — and then marrying the two in a way such that whatever Creasy was going through emotionally, that informed the tactics that he would then use in order to survive. So this was a very heady process, actually, much more so than some of the other physical things that I’ve done. But on the day, it all comes down to being comfortable, having an intention to, hopefully, making it look realistic while feeling like I’m inside of the choreography. But this was a different type of dance.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Weighs In on Season 2 and What Comes Next

The star reveals a surprising facet of Creasy he’s anxious to explore.

Image via Netflix

Where do you think Creasy’s headspace is at the end of Episode 7? Because for me, it feels like he has recovered a little bit from his PTSD, but not all the way. Where do you see him? ABDUL-MATEEN II: Well, apparently, he has unfinished business. I always knew that by the end of the season, that Creasy’s problems would not be solved. The type of things that we’re dealing with when we meet him, they don’t just go away by going on a mission and saving the day. He probably could still use a very strong drink at the end of a show. So, we know that Creasy is still dealing with some things, but apparently, he believes in himself enough to potentially throw himself back into the heat. But whether he does or doesn’t, who knows? After what happened to him in Mexico City, at the end of the season, you have the CIA director offering him to possibly get retribution or find the people that were involved. How much have you been told, “If this is a hit and we get to do another season, this is the arc,” and how much is it sort of like, “I can’t even worry about that until we get picked up?” ABDUL-MATEEN II: Look, I’ve been around now for 10 years, and starting to be a good little while, and I really know that you think about those things when you’re approached with those things, and that’s how I’m taking this one.

What did you learn making this show and being the number one on the call sheet and everything that went with it that you would take with you for a second season? Are there certain things with the character that you scratched the surface on and you really want to explore those facets of him? ABDUL-MATEEN II: That’s a great question. I’ll lean toward the second half of the question. Creasy sang — no, seriously. In the first iterations of this, he sang a little Michael Jackson, “P.Y.T.,” and he was a dude who, in his former life before all of the things, enjoyed karaoke, you know? Do you know what Creasy’s karaoke song is? ABDUL-MATEEN II: I think it was “P.Y.T.” As I said it, I realized. ABDUL-MATEEN II: Yeah. But I’d be looking forward to maybe showing a little bit more of his charm. Episode 5 really opened up the box in that way and let us see a little bit more of his personality and things like that. But, once again, if we’re fortunate enough to be having those conversations, then we have those. But I’m really, really happy that now’s the time to put it out and to give it away to the world and to see how they respond before anything else.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Quietly Teases His Wonder Man Future

The Disney+ series has been renewed for Season 2.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen in Wonder ManImage via Disney+

Before I run out of time, I’m a huge fan of Wonder Man. I thought you guys did such a great job with it. There hasn’t been a lot of success with Marvel on Disney+, but you’re getting a second season. I’m over the moon. When do you start filming? What can you tell fans about it? ABDUL-MATEEN II: You know Marvel, man. You know how that goes. [Laughs] Believe me, I do. ABDUL-MATEEN II: I know you know better than most, man. Whenever we do and whenever I can talk about those things, man, I’ll be thrilled and delighted to come and share about that. But I am looking forward to it, and I’m very happy to be a part of something that has gotten to Season 2. I’m very happy that Wonder Man landed in the way that it did.

Without telling me or the readers of Collider anything, have they at least told you the arc of the season? Are you informed on what’s coming? Did it make you happy hearing the arc? ABDUL-MATEEN II: [Silence] [Laughs] I’ve got to try. ABDUL-MATEEN II: Well, without telling you anything… You know what I mean? [Laughs] I think I did the job well, I would say.

Related

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Is Josh Gad alive?!

Last thing for you. I’ve been asking this of everyone: Have you ever asked for someone’s autograph? ABDUL-MATEEN II: I don’t remember the last time I have, but absolutely. I’m sure. I think that’s pretty cool. Has it affected when you meet people? How cognizant are you that when you meet a kid, this is probably the first time or one of the first times that they’re asking you for a picture or a selfie, whatever it is? ABDUL-MATEEN II: No, I don’t really view myself in that way. So, no, it never really crosses my mind. All seven episodes of Man on Fire Season 1 are streaming now on Netflix.

Release Date

April 30, 2026

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Kyle Killen

Directors

Steven Caple Jr., Vicente Amorim, Clare Kilner, Michael Cuesta

Writers

Kyle Killen