Yahya Abdul-Mateen II got his big-screen break in Aquaman and since then, the star has been on a roll in Hollywood. After playing as Black Manta for the DC Extended Universe, the actor made good use of his spotlight - signing on for several big potential blockbuster projects. but he hasn't forgotten about the much-awaited Aquaman sequel.
Yahya's recently wrapped up production on the new Candyman, a project produced by Jordan Peele. The actor will next be seen starring opposite to Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in Matrix 4. However, the Black Manta actor also assured that Aquaman 2 is still in works and confirms that his character will return, possibly being more troublesome.
Yahya, while addressing a question during an interview with Uproxx on Black Manta being the primary villain in Aquaman 2, the actor offered some teasing update. Though he couldn't give a direct answer, he does hint at his character's bigger presence.
"Aquaman 2 is happening! It is happening, and we can look for that, I believe, in 2022. So I'm excited to be part of that. Black Manta will be back, and hopefully, he'll be causing a lot more trouble than he did in the first one."
It was never a question if fans would ever get to see an Aquaman sequel. The standalone DC film from DC Extended Universe turned out to the first DC title to make $1 billion at the box office worldwide (Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy excluded since it does not exist in the DCEU).
Director James Wan was praised by the masses and critics alike for making Aquaman like an Indiana Jones-style action-packed adventurous and visually appealing experience. But the sequel is still far away, specifically three years before it lands in theaters.
In the meantime, the DC fandom might get to see Aquaman spin-off, The Trench before the sequel's release.
It's still unknown if Wan would return to direct Aquaman 2 but the director has confirmed that the DC sequel won't be his next project. But the first film's co-writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick will return to pen the script.
Aquaman 2 hits theaters on December 16, 2022.
