I think it's safe to say that the DCEU has been struggling lately. Most of the films being developed for the silver screen DC universe are either currently treading water, or completely floundering. The only DC film in development that seems to have found its footing is James Wan's Aquaman, and it now appears that Arthur Curry's upcoming solo film has just taken a massive step forward. We've known for quite some time that the King of Atlantis will face off against Black Manta in his first DC adventure, and now it seems hat the iconic big bad will be portrayed by The Get Down's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
A report from THR indicates that James Wan's Aquaman has entered talks with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to play one of DC Comics' most iconic villains. Although the actor has not officially agreed to sign on to the project just yet, the report confirms that Warner Bros. and DC have made an offer, and all parties are currently in the negotiation process. In addition to his work Baz Luhrmann's recent Netflix series, the actor also recently worked on the upcoming Baywatch reboot -- so if nothing else, you can rest easy knowing that he can handle himself in the water.
Getting the casting of Black Manta right is one of the most important moments in the development of the Aquaman solo film. As many of you already know, Black Manta is the arch nemesis of the King of Atlantis, and their rivalry dates all the way back to 1967. Manta isn't just the most iconic Aquaman villain of all time; he's arguably one of the most fascinating and notable bad guys in the entire DC lore. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II made a striking impression on audiences with his role as Clarence "Cadillac" Caldwell in The Get Down, so all eyes are on him to continue impressing us with his new role as this badass supervillain.
Now it seems more likely than ever that we will get to see a fight sequence as badass as this one when Aquaman hits theaters:
As of right now, Aquaman has assembled arguably the most outstanding ensemble of actors in the entire DCEU. In addition to Jason Momoa's titular aquatic badass, the film has already enlisted the acting chops of Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, and Patrick Wilson as Orm. If the movie is half as good as the talent associated with it, then we can rest easy knowing that this may become one of the most impressive DCEU films yet.
We will make sure to keep you up to date with more information regarding Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's involvement in Aquaman as more details become available to us. Aquaman is currently slated to hit theaters on October 5, 2018.
