Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Joins Mark Wahlberg In Crime Thriller 'By Any Means'

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, known for his role in Marvel’s upcoming Wonder Man, has officially signed on to star alongside Mark Wahlberg in By Any Means, a new crime thriller directed by The Inspection's Elegance Bratton. Abdul-Mateen II steps into the lead role previously set for Sterling K. Brown, who exited the project due to scheduling conflicts.

By Any Means is based on Sascha Penn’s acclaimed Black List script, CI34, and tells the gripping true story of a notorious mafia hitman recruited by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI. The hitman teams up with a young Black special agent to track down those behind the murders of civil rights leaders in 1966 Mississippi.

The film is produced by Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, Freedom Principle, and North.Five.Six., with international sales managed by North.Five.Six. The production team includes Alex Lebovici (Hammerstone Studios), Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee (Thunder Road Films), Chester Algernal Gordon (Freedom Principle), and Stephen Levinson and Mark Wahlberg under the Closest to the Hole Production banner. Executive producers include Jonathan Oakes, Michael Rothstein, Samuel Hall, Warren Goz, Adam Kolbrenner, Sascha Penn, Waylen Lin, Zach Zhang, and Logan Coles. WME Independent and CAA Media Finance are handling U.S. rights.

Abdul-Mateen II, an Emmy winner for Watchmen, is also set to star in Netflix’s Man on Fire, based on A.J. Quinnell’s books. He has previously made an impact with roles in The Trial of the Chicago 7, Aquaman, and The Greatest Showman.

Fans can catch Abdul-Mateen II in Wonder Man on Disney+ this December.