Aquaman 2 Black Manta Actor Posts Shirtless Workout Image

[Animous]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has posted a photo to social media confirming that he’s packing on the muscle for his sophomore run as the DC villain, Black Manta. The actor is becoming an increasingly common sight in notable franchises with his work in properties like HBO’s Watchmen and his roles in upcoming movies like Candyman and The Matrix 4. Now, he’s gearing up for his first sequel in James Wan’s undersea world.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II made his DCEU debut as David Kane, a.k.a Black Manta in 2018’s Aquaman. Portraying the character as a high seas pirate armed with impressive weapons and tech, the character came to blows with Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) early in the film during an encounter which led to the death of his father (Michael Beach). Overcome with grief and committed to revenge against the film’s hero, Manta formed an alliance with Orm (Patrick Wilson) to get the technology needed to put up a fight against someone of Arthur’s strength and power. In the film's mid-credits scene, Kane meets Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park), leaving audiences with the tease that the two will partner to track Arthur down in Atlantis and commence another attack in Kane's quest for revenge.

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Likely knowing that the first film’s action set a high bar to clear, the actor behind Black Manta has already begun work to prepare his body for the film. In a recent post to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Instagram account, the Us actor shared an image of himself shirtless in front of a squat rack, noting that Black Manta is once again “under construction.” Check out the image below:

In recent months, prep for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom seems to have become a significant commitment for Abdul-Mateen II. Not only has he begun work preparing his body to return to the role, but he has also started the necessary homework to crack the story and get back into character. In fact, the actor has been posting frequent updates regarding his prep work for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Little is known about the full plot of the film at this time, but with the production of Aquaman 2 now underway in London, fans may get new information about the project in the coming months.

Obviously, Abdul-Mateen II looks great as he prepares himself to return to the role of Black Manta. Still, the added muscle also arguably hints at an intense return for Arthur Curry’s greatest villain. As a brilliant tactician and technical mastermind, Manta may have learned from his encounters with Aquaman in the first film and committed himself to improve his body in addition to his customized Atlantean armor. With the feud between these two characters still alive and well (and a tease of what's to come already in place), audiences can expect to see them gear up for round 2 when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom debuts in theaters next year on December 16, 2022.

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