Black Manta. One of Arthur Curry’s fiercest opponents, if not his outright arch-nemesis. He is to Aquaman what Lex Luthor is to Superman. Outside of the comics, he was a member of the Legion of Doom in Challenge of the Superfriends, as well as a recurring threat on Young Justice. And then there’s that Black Manta-type, Devil Ray, from Justice League Unlimited. But now actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is set to star as the Aquaman villain in, well, Aquaman, but what comes after that?
While Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has talked in the past about Black Manta being utilized in the DC Extended Universe beyond the events of the Aquaman film, we don’t know just yet how the Aquaman villain will show up after Arthur Curry’s solo adventure. And there are possibilities. The end of Justice League hinted at a supervillain group. Could it be the Injustice League? The Secret Society? The Legion of Doom? Or what about in a Suicide Squad sequel?
Well, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II recently sat down with ComicBook.com for an interview and explained that if there’s a way down the line in the DCEU for Black Manta to get back at Aquaman, then he could definitely show up again:
“He has an opportunity to show up anywhere where Aquaman is. Anywhere where he has a device or plot to get back to Aquaman, he’s going to use it. So, he can show up wherever. But when he does I hope that we get to see more of his wit and more of the comedic parts of Black Manta and see more of the things that make him that I know and the human that the fans and the people in this universe have grown to love over the years.”
So however Black Manta is utilized in this film, it seems that going forward, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II hopes to see more of Manta’s character explored after the events of Aquaman. More than that, showing more of his humanity could be seen as a way for audiences to grow more attached to him. But we’ll have to wait and see what the future has in store for the Aquaman villain.
What do you think, though? How would you want to see Black Manta utilized in the DCEU? Should he just appear in Aquaman-related projects or would you want to see him take on other DC heroes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Aquaman will swim onto U.S. shores this Friday.
Source: ComicBook.com