The DC Extended Universe is a unique franchise, one that has been mostly focused on director-driven projects over recent years. James Wan’s Aquaman is a prime example of how this method could succeed, and fans can’t wait to see what the horror legend has in store for the mysterious sequel. One Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom writer has revealed Black Manta’s new suit, and wow.
There’s a ton of anticipation for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is expected to greatly expand the underwater franchise that James Wan established with the 2018 original. The upcoming sequel was written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who also wrote the screenplay for the last movie. He shared a set photo of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s villainous Black Manta, and he’s rocking a new look. Check it out below,
I am ridiculously excited to share what we’ve been working on. Only 14 months to wait. 😅#AquamanAndTheLostKingdom pic.twitter.com/6Bg4bTbNz3October 18, 2021
I mean, how cool is that? Black Manta’s origin story played out throughout the course of the original Aquaman, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II having a brief but memorable role in the Jason Momoa flick. He’ll be back with a vengeance, including some killer new gear. Is it December 2022 yet?
The above image comes to us from the Twitter of David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, and is sure to turn a few heads. The secrets of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have been guarded by the cast and crew, so there’s really no telling where the story might go. But with Black Manta getting an upgrade, I have to admit I’m a little nervous for Arthur Curry and his allies.
This new look for Black Manta is much more sleek, and less bulky than the prototype that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s character constructed in the original Aquaman. I have to wonder if he had help from Randall Park’s Dr. Stephen Shin, who appeared in the mid-credits sequence of the last movie. The two are seemingly forming an alliance, which could mean dangerous things for Jason Momoa’s hulking title character.
As previously mentioned, Black Manta had a memorable but relatively limited role in the original Aquaman. Much of the movie’s conflict was focused on Atlantean politics and Oceanmaster’s quest for power. But the armored villain did provide arguably the most thrilling action sequence of the entire first movie.
Of course, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has plenty of experience in genre work. He recently won an Emmy for playing Dr. Manhattan in HBO’s Watchmen series. He’s also got a role in the highly anticipated The Matrix Resurrections and was the protagonist of Nia DaCosta’s Candyman sequel.
James Wan has teased that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom would greatly expand the world of the underwater franchise, which is an intriguing concept. With the Trench spinoff officially cancelled by Warner Bros., the Malignant director should presumably put all of his creative focus on the upcoming sequel.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is currently set to arrive in theaters on December 16th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
