Yahya Abdul-Mateen II may have been forced to drop out of George Miller’s Mad Max: Furiosa, but you’ll still be seeing plenty of the fast-rising star on your screens for the foreseeable future.
Having exploded to mainstream prominence via an Emmy-winning turn in HBO’s acclaimed Watchmen, the actor has been racking up a string of critical and commercial hits, which is forecast to continue when The Matrix Resurrections comes to theaters and streaming tomorrow.
Next up for Abdul-Mateen II is Michael Bay’s Ambulance, but after that it’s back to the DCEU for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In an interview with ComicBook, the 35 year-old teased that we should be expecting much bigger, better and badder things from the returning David Kane.
“I think in the next Aquaman, I really wanted to put more personality into the character for us to sort of get to know him in some more private moments. Wanted to see [Black Manta] struggle with some things, then to see a bit more of his personality and character. Also, to see what it looks like for him to be in charge of something. So we get to see a little bit more of his leadership style, a little bit more of his personality in this one. And he’s back for more, no doubt, in a big way.”
James Wan revealed that canceled spinoff The Trench was actually supposed to be a Black Manta solo feature, but even though a standalone project has vanished into the ether of development hell, it would be reasonable for us to expect Abdul-Mateen II to stick around for at least a little while after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
He’s one of the most in-demand talents in the business right now, so plenty of major properties are going to come calling if the DCEU doesn’t tie him down.