Black Manta will return in Jason Momoa had already played Aquaman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, it was only in the Aquaman movie that Aquaman's origins, his personality, and most importantly, his relationship with villains Ocean Master and Black Manta were crafted.
Very much like the New 52 Aquaman, Arthur Curry’s story in the Aquaman film revolved around the character trying to find his place between two worlds. Arthur had been aware of his true origins ever since his childhood, and while he lived both on the surface and in Atlantis, he could not commit to either of the worlds. Despite having already saved the world from Steppenwolf in Justice League, Aquaman was still inexperienced and naive during the James Wan Aquaman movie. Therefore, Aquaman was, in many ways, an origin story even though it was not actually the beginning of Arthur Curry’s superhero life.
By being a sort of origin story, Aquaman was able to feature the backstory and the motivations of Ocean Master and Black Manta, both of which can be considered Aquaman’s greatest enemies. Ocean Master, played by Patrick Wilson, was Aquaman’s main villain as the story was very much inspired by the New 52 comic book arc Throne of Atlantis. Orm represented the Atlantean side of Arthur’s life, and the resentful prince served as the perfect antagonist for that specific part of Aquaman’s journey. That said, Black Manta, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, also had a significant role in Aquaman, with a focus on setting up what could become one of the DCEU’s most intense rivalries. In Aquaman, Black Manta was more of a pawn used by Ocean Master to attack Aquaman and Mera on the surface. However, as promised by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Black Manta will have a bigger role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Based on that, a popular theory (via Reddit) calls back to the fatherhood themes of the first Aquaman to suggest that Black Manta will kill Aquaman’s father in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Aquaman Made Black Manta & Arthur’s Rivalry Personal
Despite the limited screen time, Black Manta had a strong presence in the first Aquaman movie. A lot of it had to do with Aquaman’s opening sequence, which served as an origin story for Black Manta. Inspired by Manta’s reimagined New 52 backstory, Aquaman opened with David Kane and his father, Jesse Kane, working as pirates and running into the urban legend known as “the Aquaman.” While in the comics Aquaman kills Black Manta’s father by mistake, in the Aquaman movie Arthur decides not to save Jesse Kane after witnessing him brutally killing the submarine’s crew. Still, just like in the New 52 comics, Black Manta blamed Aquaman for his father’s death and swore revenge on the superhero. In less than 20 minutes, Aquaman had already set up one of DC’s most important characters, Black Manta, and it made his relationship with Arthur Curry much more personal.
The DCEU Can’t Adapt Black Manta’s Most Brutal Comics Moment
Black Manta was not able to fulfill his wish for vengeance against Aquaman, meaning that the villain will have even bigger plans against the DCEU hero in the sequel. Aquaman’s post-credits scene teased how Manta is upgrading his tech, and with actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II teasing a bigger role for the villain in the Aquaman sequel, audiences can expect Black Manta to have some sort of victory in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Given how personal the vengeance Black Manta seeks is, there is a precedent in the comics for what would be an incredibly brutal moment for the DCEU. In Death of a Prince, a comic book arc from 1978, Black Manta kills Aquaman’s newborn son, the Aquababy. Aquaman’s son did not have his father’s ability to breathe on the surface, which Manta used to suffocate the character to death. However, given how dark and brutal the Death of a Prince arc was, even for the comics, it is unlikely that DC ever adapts it into a live-action movie.
Theory: Black Manta Kills Aquaman’s Father In Aquaman 2
While the death of the Aquababy is way too dark for a Arthur spends most of the Aquaman movie trying to find his mother, which would make it even more tragic if he were to lose his father in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Black Manta Killing Aquaman’s Father Would Escalate The DCEU Rivalry
Currently, the relationship between Aquaman and Black Manta is more one-sided, as Manta is the one who has a personal grudge against Aquaman. However, if Black Manta kills Aquaman’s father, then the hero would have all the reasons to hate his arch-nemesis. Should that happen, then the dynamic between Aquaman and Black Manta would evolve from one-sided revenge to a full rivalry. While Ocean Master has been at the center of famous recent stories like the DC animated movie Justice League: Throne of Atlantis and the Aquaman film, Black Manta has always been Aquaman’s true arch-nemesis, which has yet to be established in the DCEU. Having Manta fulfill his revenge against Aquaman by killing Thomas Curry would cement the villain as Aquaman’s worst nightmare, and it would put the DCEU hero’s morals to test.
Granted, Aquaman chose not to save Black Manta’s father, but that doesn’t mean he would necessarily cross a line and kill Black Manta in an act of revenge. How Aquaman would deal with the death of his father at the hands of Black Manta could be a very interesting arc for the character in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, especially when there has been so much debate regarding DCEU heroes like Batman and Superman killing. Black Manta is one of DC’s most important antagonists, and should the character have a larger role in the DCEU going forward, having him as a constant reminder of Aquaman’s failures would elevate both the hero and the villain.
