Aquaman 2 star on the sequel: "The script is better than it was in the first one"

Black Manta in Aquaman — (Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who plays Black Manta in the DCEU, has praised Aquaman 2 – and suggested we'll learn more about his character in the sequel.

"I think the script is better than it was in the first one. It gives the actors a lot of good storytelling moments," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "In Aquaman, we just got a small introduction to Black Manta and to some of his motivations. In this one, I get to exercise and breathe a little bit more. I'm showing some different colors with this one."

Abdul-Mateen made his DC debut in Aquaman, but played more of a supporting role, with Patrick Wilson playing the film's main villain King Orm. It sounds like the sequel, titled Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, will give Black Manta more to do, though.

The plot of the sequel is being kept tightly under wraps, though its working title Necrus may hold some clues. In DC Comics, this is an underwater city that blinks in and out of existence, with no set location. It also has a sinister leader named Mongo, and a disdain for surface-dwellers – so Arthur Curry could have a lot to deal with if this is the titular Lost Kingdom.

Jason Momoa returns as the eponymous aquatic hero in the sequel, while Amber Heard is back as Mera, Wilson returns as Orm, Temuera Morrison reprises his role of Arthur's father Tom, and Game of Thrones' Pilou Asbæk is playing a mystery role.

As for Abdul-Mateen, he's starring in the upcoming Candyman reboot from director Nia DaCosta, and will also be appearing in The Matrix 4 and the Mad Max prequel Furiosa.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom releases December 16, 2022. Until then, check out how to watch DC movies in order to get up to speed on the DCEU.

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.