TheWrap reports that Aquaman will be going up against his arch nemesis in the upcoming solo film, revealing that he will fight Black Manta in the 2018 film.
Black Manta was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy in “Aquaman” #35 in 1967, and though the character fought the King of Atlantis for decades, it wasn’t until the 1990s that he was finally given an origin, which has since changed over the years since. Originally Black Manta was a child abused by a ship’s crew that he was a member of, seeking revenge against Aquaman as an incarnate of the sea, but recent iterations of the character have seen him blaming Aquaman for his father’s death and seeking to kill the hero for revenge.
The character doesn’t have an actual super powers but is an adept fighter with great strength. His trademark suit, however, allows him to swim across the deeps of the ocean and to fight Aquaman on his home turf.
Screenwriter Will Beall (Gangster Squad, “Castle”) will pen the script for the upcoming movie from a story concocted with director James Wan and DC Entertainment President Geoff Johns.
The underwater film will star Jason Mamoa as the title hero, with Amber Heard set to play his wife Mera (Queen of Atlantis) and Willem Dafoe as his advisor Vulko, both latter characters making their debut in the upcoming Justice League movie.
Aquaman is set for release July 27, 2018.
