villains

Black Manta Reportedly Set As Aquaman Villain

His comics incarnation. Photo: DC Comics

A report has bubbled up from the sea of Hollywood rumors: According to the Wrap, classic DC Comics villain Black Manta will apparently be the main bad guy in 2018’s James Wan–directed, Jason Momoa–starring super-flick, Aquaman. Black Manta is a longstanding fixture in DC lore, debuting in a 1967 Aquaman story and appearing not just on the printed page but also in the seminal Super Friends animated franchise of the 1970s and ‘80s. Warner Bros. declined to comment on the report, but if it turns out to be true, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise — Black Manta is traditionally one of Aquaman’s archest of nemeses. The character’s origin story has undergone several reboots, but his throughlines are a grudge against our hero and a rad, saucer-shaped helmet that allows him to breathe underwater. No word on who would be playing him in the movie, nor whether he’ll resolve his differences with Aquaman by learning their moms have the same name.