Black Manta is a DC Comics character that's been around for over 50 years, however, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, will be the first actor to portray the Aquaman villain in a live-action setting. Speaking to Access, Yahya commented on playing such a popular comic book villain and the fun he's having with DC fans online.
"It was a huge role. This will be, to date, my biggest role. I’m so excited. I have a lot of fun playing quote unquote villains because I think the bad guys get to have more fun, right," asked the New Orleans-born actor, who also recently had a co-starring role in Hugh Jackman's The Greatest Showman.
Yahya went on to add, "And then also, this is a character who we’ve never seen in the canon on film before and I have a lot of fun teasing the fans and going back and forth with the fans on the internet about what’s going to be in the movie or how he’s gonna look. So, there’s a lot of mystery. I’m really enjoying it all."
Not much is known regarding how James Wan will approach the villain and his rather unique look. Black Manta is an intense, menacing character, but it's easy to imagine his helmet coming off as goofy rather than intimidating in a live-action setting. With SDCC just a few months away, fans likely won't have to wait too long to get their first look at the "quote-unquote villain."
Aquaman hits North American theaters on December 21, 2018.