'Wonder Man' crew member dies after accident on set of Marvel Studios series
A crew member who was working on the upcoming Marvel television series "Wonder Man" died after falling from the studio rafters Tuesday, Marvel Studios confirmed.
The man, who was working as a rigger at Radford Studio Center (formerly CBS Radford), has not been identified. "Wonder Man" was not filming at the time of the fatal accident and production was halted for the day.
"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and friends, and our support is behind the investigation into the circumstances of this accident," Marvel Studios said in a statement.
A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY that first responders were called to Radford Studio Center, in Studio City just outside of central Los Angeles, at 6:42 a.m. Tuesday in response to the accident. A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman confirmed police were called out for a death investigation after a 50-year-old male fell from the studio's catwalk.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, will be the investigating body, according to The Associated Press.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is set to star in "Wonder Man" as Simon Williams, who transforms into the titular superhero in the series by "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" director Destin Daniel Cretton. Ben Kingsley is set to reprise his "Iron Man 3" role of Trevor Slattery in the series which does not have a release date.
While crew injuries and deaths on film and television sets have historically been underreported, there have been several fatalities in recent years that have resulted in high-profile lawsuits and calls for industry reforms.
They include the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust," when a gun that actor Alec Baldwin was pointing at her went off, and the 2014 death of Sarah Jones, a 27-year-old camera assistant killed in a train accident on the set of the movie "Midnight Rider."
Between 1990 and 2014, at least 43 people died on sets in the U.S. and more than 150 were left with life-altering injuries, according to a 2016 report by The Associated Press. Those numbers were derived by combing through data from workplace and aviation safety investigations, court records and news accounts.
Contributing: The Associated Press