Aquaman was a pretty solid DCEU flick which no doubt managed to set the stage for further stories to be explored. We saw plenty cool s–t in the film and we also saw an introduction of a pretty cool villain with the likes of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manta. Granted, he didn’t have as much screen time as Patrick Wilson’s King Orm but the film’s post-credits scene definitely sets up a bigger narrative for Black Manta in the future.
David Kane AKA Black Manta does have some serious beef with Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) so this relationship would no doubt have to be explored in the future. It’s safe to say that we’d like more Black Manta but it looks like one big DC player shares the same sentiment.
Comic book writer Geoff Johns who also served as co-writer for the DCEU film expressed a ton of excitement for the future of Black Manta in the DCEU. Speaking with Geeks of Color alongside Aquaman writers David Leslie and Will Beall, Johns and company expressed a ton of love for the character emphasizing his significance in Arthur Curry’s narrative along with how particular they were in being comic book accurate. Johns said:
“It’s impossible. It’s like doing a Batman movie without the Batmobile. You just shouldn’t do it. Some people were like, you can’t do the big helmet. It’s like saying Joker without the smile!”
Johns also expressed excitement for a Black Manta film highlighting the significance of the character along director James Wan‘s worries in regards to whether or not he’d be able to deliver. Johns added:
“There was a moment when the script was really going and James [Wan] texted me or emailed me, and said Black Manta’s story may be too big for this movie. What do you think? And I didn’t reply, I just went to his office and I said, ‘Black Manta has to be in the movie.’ He was like, ‘I know!!!’
There should be a Black Manta movie. That’d be a cool movie. “
Johns wasn’t done expressing his love for Black Manta and his desire to see more of him. When asked on the villains he’d like to see working with Black Manta in the future, he said:
“There’s a villain called the Scavenger I really like. That guy is a cool character and is a really freaky character. He is in the same Black Manta family though! I want more Black Manta first!”
Yep, there is a bright future for Black Manta in the DCEU and plenty of stories to explore. His time in Aquaman may have been brief but there’s still a ton of potential for the character to really shine. If the DCEU plays their cards right, we may be able to see a Black Manta film one day.
Source: Geeks of Color
