As Watchmen fans eagerly await news about a second season that may never arrive on HBO, one of the first season's stars has finally broken his silence about a theory he's held onto since the twist-filled episodes first aired last year. Future Candyman lead Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who played Watchmen's psuedo-dual roles of Cal Abar and Dr. Manhattan, shared his thoughts about one of the show's mysteries that was left largely unexplained, and he is one of many that believe Dr. Manhattan passed his powers along to another character, but not just Regina King's Angela.
It's been eleven months since Watchmen aired its mind-blowing finale, but the drama has remained relevant and popular throughout 2020 thanks to its racially charged storytelling and its widespread awards recognition. As such, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's big theory reveal feels just as relevant as it would have been if he'd shared it last Christmas. Here's how the actor began his Watchmen-geared Twitter thread:
Long time ago I said I had a theory about Watchmen that I never shared. Mind you, it’s MY THEORY, not insider information. Here goes: Dr. Manhattan also gave his powers to Old Man Will.
THANK YOU, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II! That is the exact same thought that I've held firmly onto ever since Episode 2 aired and fully introduced audiences to Louis Gossett Jr.'s Will Reeves. And it sounds like Abdul-Mateen was influenced by the same bonkers clues that I and other fans were flummoxed by. He continued:
Remember in the first (or 2nd) episode, when Will was in Angela’s bakery? Remember the boiling eggs? He reached in the pot and took out the hot egg and held it in his hand without flinching. If I remember correctly, he also ate it, scalding hot! How’d he do that?
That moment was one of the most baffling character actions throughout the entire season, and that includes the farcical pomp that was Adrian Veidt's existence. Even the fantastical superhero-esque moments in Watchmen, while always awesome, were technically in the same visual and/or thematic ballpark as other dramatic fare. But someone dropping their hand into boiling water and then immediately eating what comes out of it? That behavior is pretty specific to Will Reeves and only Will Reeves. Yahya Abdul-Mateen had a little more ammo for his theory, too.
He was also, what 105 years old? Maybe part of the deal he cut with Dr. Manhattan in EP 8 flashback was that he’d live long enough to get revenge, or see Angela at peace. And maybe Dr. Manhattan left his powers in a few eggs that he could eat over time... Theory needs more work. But I def think Old Man Will had powers. What y’all think? Am I on to somethin or nah?
Considering just about every single detail in Watchmen was put in there for very specific reasons (with no guarantees that all of the reasons were obvious), Will Reeves' egg trick in particular stands out as being just too eccentric to exist in a vacuum. And then when you add all the other questionable details in – such as his similar talent of drinking hot coffee without reacting – it takes little effort to hitch a ride on that speculation train. If only there was a deleted scene from Will and Dr. Manhattan's meeting that very blatantly laid this out. Darn you, Damon Lindelof!
It may be a while before there are any worthwhile updates about Watchmen Season 2, which will presumably only happen if Damon Lindelof miraculously crafts a set of new ideas, or if another equally talented creative mind takes the reins with HBO's blessing. While waiting to see if that ever happens, don't forget about comic scribe Tom King's official Watchmen sequel Rorschach, while will be a modern-day conspiracy thriller. And while waiting for that to come out, stay current with our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring 2021 TV rundown to see what else is hitting the small screen soon.
