When Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry swims back into action later this year for Aquaman, he'll be threatened on two fronts. In one corner will be Orm, a.k.a. Ocean Master, Arthur's treacherous half-brother who wants the Atlantean throne for himself. In the other corner will be David Hyde, a.k.a. Black Manta, a merciless treasure hunter and mercenary who is generally considered to be Aquaman's arch-nemesis in the comics. We have yet to see what these two villains will look like in the DC Extended Universe, but a new LEGO toy suggests that Black Manta's appearance in Aquaman will closely resemble the distinctive look he's rocked on the printed page for decades.
While comic book movies nowadays are more willing to embrace source material rather than distance themselves from it, like with any adaptation, there are still instances where creative liberties need to be taken. However, if this LEGO figurine revealed by mp_legoleaks is any indication, then Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Black Manta will look quite similar to his comic book counterpart. Granted, it's difficult to determine from the above image just how the actual Black Manta costume will look fully realized in Aquaman, but the black color scheme and the oversized, alien-like diving helmet (fingers crossed it can shoot laser beams) are good signs.
It's worth noting that toys (including LEGO sets) that are tied into a movie don't always reflect what will be shown in said movie. However, Black Manta briefly appeared in the Aquaman footage shown at CinemaCon, and the antagonist's costume reportedly looked like it was ripped straight from the comics. Making Black Manta wear a watered-down suit (pun definitely intended) wouldn't have been good for anyone; sticking with the classic Black Manta costume helps him stand out from the crowd. Aquaman is still seven months away from release, but here's hoping we get an official still of Black Manta relatively soon.
Taking place after the events of Justice League, Aquaman will see Arthur Curry traveling back to Atlantis to finally embrace his royal heritage. Unfortunately for him, Ocean Master and Black Manta will complicate his efforts to stop the Atlanteans from going to war with humanity, a.k.a. the surface dwellers. Along with Jason Momoa playing the eponymous hero and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II playing Black Manta, Aquaman's main cast includes Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Ludi Lin as Murk, Michael Beach as Jesse Kane and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.
Directed by James Wan, Aquaman dives into theaters on December 21, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates about the movie. In the meantime, you can look through our DC movies guide to learn what other DCEU projects are in development.
