‘Aquaman’: Better Look At Black Manta Costume Revealed

A new photo of an Iron Studios statue of Black Manta suggests what the villain’s costume may look like in the upcoming Aquaman movie.

The image was posted on Reddit, where fans noted that the studio has licensing rights for the next DCEU film. That means there is a good chance the statues they’re making now will use designs directly from the movie, making the collectible an inadvertent spoiler by itself.

The statue shows Black Manta in his usual massive helmet and geared up suit. He has the two massive glowing eyes that make it so recognizable, both facing the camera as he glares over one shoulder. His dark suit is tinged with a few other orange panels.

The statue has Manta lunging forward, with blades extending from both of his wrists. Other statues are out of focus in the background, including what appears to be a certain golden trident.

“I wonder if the suit will be entirely Atlantean tech, or if he’ll incorporate any Kryptonian metals/components,” one commenter wondered. “If he does, safe bet is in a future movie.”

“I really like it a lot but I’m not a fan of that gigantic thruster backpack,” added another. “If it was like 20% smaller and not as bulbous it’d be perfect.”

The original poster confirmed that the statue was on display at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. The first trailer for Aquaman is expected to debut at the convention, which means fans may soon see Manta as he will appear on the big screen, not just rendered in plastic.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is set to play the villain. The actor is best known for Netflix’s massive series The Get Down, where he played Cadillac. It’s unclear what his role in the story will be, however, as Arthur Curry’s brother Orm — a.k.a. Ocean Master — is listed much higher up on the cast list. He will be played by Patrick Wilson.

Back in December, director James Wan told Entertainment Weekly that, in the simplest terms, Orm will be the antagonist of the film. He said that he wanted to introduce as much of the world of Atlantis as possible, but he would not muddle an origin story movie with multiple villains.

“We know Black Manta is in there, but I will say this: Patrick Wilson is the main antagonist in this film,” he said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘villain,’ but he’s the antagonist.”

Introducing a character who can become a villain later on is a shrewd move for the folks at DC. Superhero movies are often said to suffer from weak antagonists, as they tend to come and go very quickly. The obvious exceptions are characters like Loki in the MCU, who has had his own arc spanning multiple films. With a little patience, Black Manta could be dimensionalized in the same way.

Aquaman hits theaters on Dec. 21, 2018.