Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is much in-demand at the moment. Since 2018, he’s starred in Aquaman, Jordan Peele’s Us, HBO’s Watchmen, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Candyman and The Matrix Resurrections as Morpheus.
He recently had to leave Mad Max prequel Furiosa due to scheduling conflicts, which shows how busy he is. He will next be seen in Michael Bay’s Ambulance. And he’s now been discussing his role in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom with Collider.
Abdul-Mateen says; “It’s another exciting adventure. I think in this one we get to see what it looks like to have Black Manta more in the driver’s seat. We get to see what it looks like for him to be a little bit more in charge. We get to see more of his own personality, some of the things that he struggled with, and some of his aspirations.”
He continued; “And what it means for him to have a bit more muscle, a little bit more power in this film. I’m excited about introducing a more fleshed out, rounded personality to the world.”
Black Manta has had many different origin stories in the comics over the years, including being enslaved on a pirate ship and experimented on at Arkham Asylum.
Black Manta possesses a keen scientific mind and is an expert in mechanical engineering. He also possesses some degree of advanced stamina and endurance. Manta’s battle suit makes him almost completely invulnerable and further enhances his physical strength and durability to superhuman levels. His armour is adapted to an oceanic environment, providing complete resistance to deep sea pressures and granting Black Manta the ability to breathe underwater.
It will be interesting to see how the character develops in the Aquaman sequel. While we wait until February, check out our guides to some more upcoming DCEU movies, including Justice League 2, The Flash, Black Adam and HBO Max’s Peacemaker series.