[Major Spoilers Ahead]
Ok, now that you have been warned, let’s talk about Black Manta in Aquaman. For the brief amount of screen time the character has on screen, you can definitely feel the intensity that actor Yahya Abdul Mateen II brings to the role.
The following will deal with what happens in the movie to the character of Black Manta.
Early on in the movie, we have a submarine scene that basically serves up as Black Manta’s origin story as well as explaining why the character has a deep-seeded hatred of Aquaman. The scene really shows off Abdul-Mateen’s acting ability.
Fast forward later on in the movie and you have a final showdown between Manta and Aquaman with the (future) King of Atlantis emerging triumphant. Fast forward again to the mid-credit scene and you find out that Manta has survived and is solely focused on killing Aquaman.
So it goes without saying that Manta will probably be the villain in a potential Aquaman sequel. Or perhaps he can end up potentially in another movie…say a certain James Gunn directed movie based on a squad that has been led by Manta in the comic books?
On the potential future of Manta, Abdul-Mateen had this to say:
“Yeah, well I think Black Manta is going to be… 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.”
Furthermore, the actor had this to say as well:
“It was a great exercise in truth having no size. As long as it’s true, then you can go as far as the truth will take you in the pursuit. And I think Black Manta is an excellent example of that. Because what I think is going to happen is people are going to be rooting for some pretty sadistic things.”
But if you’ve read this far then you should have an idea of where do you think Black Manta should go next. Tell us where you think the character should appear in the comment section.
Aquaman premieres December 21st, 2018
