DC’s Aquaman Casts Black Manta With Nicole Kidman Linked For Mother Role

The pieces of the puzzle seem to be coming together for filmmaker James Wan. Tabling an offer for one actor while he negotiates with another. Aquaman will be Jason Momoa's stand alone debut in the DC Extended Universe, following on from a brief cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and a greater role in Justice League.

The October 5, 2018 release is sure to create a lot of buzz for superhero fans. And, with the big players coming aboard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is close to signing on to play the villain the Black Manta. Fresh from his success in the Netflix series The Get Down, Abdul-Mateen II won the part over a number of other contenders. All as he builds on a CV that happens to include a role in the Dwayne Johnson comedy Baywatch.

Who Is The Black Manta?

Black Manta

With the deal being tabled to the actor on Monday this week, it is expected that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will have no hesitation but to grab the opportunity with both hands. Especially having missed out on the role of Lando Calrissian in the Han Solo spinoff. Yet the aesthetic and character of the bad guy is going to be a tricky adaptation to create for Wan and the actor. Coming across as some sort of aquatic ant man on steroids.

With a first appearance in the comics starting way back in 1967, Black Manta's earliest origins derive from two different storylines. One came from a boy living in Baltimore who was sexually abused by a number of captives, only to hate Aquaman for not saving him in time. The other was a youngster who was held in Arkham Asylum at Gotham City, where he would prefer to live in freezing cold water.

In both scenarios, he learns to kill from his developing years and has a strong disdain for the hero in question. Shooting red lasers from his eyes, Abdul-Mateen II will need to embrace his dark side to pull the character off.

NK Earmarked For Mother Role

Nicole Kidman Top of the Lake

Alongside Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Dr. Vulko and Patrick Wilson as the villain/half-brother Orm, Nicole Kidman is seen as the ideal candidate to play Aquaman's mother. The Australian actress has history with DC via a role in the 1995 installment Batman Forever. Yet this would be a whole new level as Atlanna.

The former Queen of Atlantis had Aquaman as a son with a lighthouse keeper, only to flee the underwater kingdom altogether. Up for an Academy Award for her performance on the drama Lion, this would be another feather in the cap of the 49-year old Eyes Wide Shut star.

Source: THR, Variety

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