The countdown to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has begun, the Jason Momoa-led feature will be the last DCEU release and will also ushers in a new era for the studio under James Gunn and Peter Safran. After recent DC Extended Universe movies failed to impress at the box office this year, all eyes are on Aquaman to close the year with a bang.
To get fans hyped, the studio is releasing new clips and images and Empire Magazine has unveiled a new look at Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s returning villain Black Manta. The image gives us a good look at the character as Mateen is standing tall in a head-to-toe suit, his big red eyes gleaming, and the black trident in his hands. The image reinforces Manta as a menacing villain for Arthur and Orm (Patrick Wilson) to deal with.
Aquaman 2 is helmed by returning director and horror master James Wan, who teases many horror elements in the upcoming feature in the accompanying Empire interview, affirming that “this second movie definitely has more of that.” Citing inspiration from old-school Euro-horror, and Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion monsters, he elaborates “That became the design foundation.” Manta’s suit isn’t the only horrific mechanical element as the director continues, “In his quest to find ways to destroy Arthur, Black Manta… stumbles onto something.” So, fans can expect epic set pieces and a distinct “very retro, ‘60s horror look.” He further teases, “We have this huge action set-piece where Arthur and Orm fight [Black Manta’s] henchmen, using the ‘Octobot’ – this mechanical squid thing.”
Who Stars in ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?’
Alongside Momoa, Wilson, and Abdul-Mateen II, the movie also features returning cast members like Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin, and Temuera Morrison as Arthur’s father Tom Curry. Rounding up the cast are Vincent Regan as Atlan, Jani Zhao as Stingray, Indya Moore as Karshon, while Pilou Asbæk has been cast in an undisclosed role.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will make a splash in theaters on December 20. You can check out the new image below:
