Marvel’s Wonder Man | film studio pays tribute to crew member who died during new series filming

Marvel has paid tribute to a crew member who died on set during the filming of an upcoming MCU television series, Wonder Man, scheduled for release later this year on Disney+. 

Originally reported by Deadline, the crew member was reported to be a rigger, Juan Carlos Osario, who fell from a catwalk while on set at Radford Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles in the early hours of February 6, 2024. Los Angeles Police Department were called around 6.55am the report continued.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, Charles Miller, confirmed that officers responded to the call and an investigation into the death remains open, however, they do not believe there was any foul play involved regarding the death.

Marvel released a statement shortly after the announcement of the death, reading: "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and friends, and our support is behind the investigation into the circumstances of this accident."

In addition to Marvel’s statement, IATSE President Matthew D. Loeb also offered his condolences: “Everyone in the IA family is shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss. We are working to support our member’s family, and his fellow members and colleagues. Safety on set is our highest priority and we will assist Cal/OSHA in their investigation in any way that we can. If you feel unsafe on set for any reason, members can call the IATSE Safety Hotline at 844-422-9273 or use our safety info app.”

A GoFundMe campaign for the family of Osorio has already raised $115,000 since it was set up on Tuesday.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is set to lead the cast as Simon Williams / Wonder Man, joined by Ben Kingsley, Demetrius Grosse, and Ed Harris. The project was first announced in December 2021 when Destin Daniel Cretton inked an overall deal with Marvel Studios to develop television content for Disney+. In June 2022, it was disclosed that the series would centre on Wonder Man, with Andrew Guest attached and Cretton slated to direct episodes.

Abdul-Mateen's involvement was confirmed in October of the same year, with Stella Meghie and James Ponsoldt also onboarded as directors by February 2023. Filming commenced in early April 2023 in Los Angeles but faced interruptions due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, resulting in a production halt in late May. However, filming resumed promptly by early January 2024.