When Aquaman 2 arrives, it's going to be bringing Black Manta back with it and this time, the character is going to be quite a bit more filled out. That's the assertion from the actor tasked with playing Black Manta in both films, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Black Manta has long been one of the most famous foes of Aquaman in the comics and over the years, he's taken many forms. In the first Aquaman film, however, he was largely just a stumbling block on the way to the real foes for the King of the Deep. Abdul-Mateen II says that the second time around, audiences will get to know the villain a little better and really see what makes him tick, as he squares off against his nemesis again.
Speaking to ComicBook.com during a press stop to promote the upcoming Matrix Resurrections, the actor had a lot to say about what he thinks audiences will see of Black Manta in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. In that interview, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II said that people will see his character struggle with some things. They'll also get to know the man a bit more and really get to see his character.
Black Manta, who showed up in the first Aquaman as a kind of pirate who was gifted weapons by King Orm that allowed his to face off against Arthur Curry still didn't stand much of a chance when the two actually went toe-to-toe. Abdul Mateen II said that in Aquaman 2, the villain is going to be back in a "very big way."
That might hint that Black Manta has found a way to power himself up even more, so that he can get into an actual slugfest with an even more sure of himself Aquaman. Audiences are also supposed to see the character as more of a leader, which hints that he might have rounded up another group of pirates and lackies to take the fight to Atlantis.
Beyond the fact that Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom will delve into what makes Black Manta tick a bit more, there isn't a ton known about the sequel just yet. For what it's worth, Dolph Lundgren is on record as sayiing that Aquaman 2 is going to be better than the first film. So far, there hasn't been any trailers or posters released for the movie, but promotional materials should be on the way fairly soon. In the meantime, movie-goers can watch Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Morpheus with a new face in Matrix Resurrections.
Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom is set to release on December 16, 2022.
Source: ComicBook.com
