Nerds of Prey Exclusive with Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Manteen II
Nerds of Prey had the chance to talk exclusively with Yahya Abdul-Manteen II on his role as David Kane a.k.a Black Manta in the new adventurous and upcoming hit film, Aquaman. We got to chat about why he took the role, what he wants to see in a potential sequel and more!
Kay-B: Thanks for chatting with Nerds of Prey!
Yahya Abdul-Manteen II: Thank you for having me, I am just really excited for everyone to see the film.
Kay-B: So, this is a really fun adventure film. I am really excited, too, for people to see it. So, tell me about why you took the role? What piqued your interest the most? Without giving away spoilers, we see your character really go on a journey. Through a series of escalated events, he ends up with a vendetta against Aquaman.
Yahya: I think ultimately it came down to the creative team. You know I just wanted to be in the middle of good company.
Kay-B: Did you read the comics as a child, prior to signing on this for this film, or did you really start to do background research once you got the script?
Yahya: No, I never was a comic fan growing up. My brother was though, he was really into X-Men. But once I got the role, that’s when I became a fan of the comics. My first trip to the comic book store, I started talking to one of the workers there and realized that there’s a comic in the world for everyone. And, I mean you can become a fan at any point in life, right?
Kay-B: Absolutely, you’re never too old to become a fan. So, tell me a little bit more about what it was like to work with Michael Beach and have him play your father. Michael Beach is an icon, especially in the black community, but he’s had such an illustrious career, and you guys had such a strong father-son dynamic onscreen.
Yahya: He’s incredible and almost immediately we developed a mentor-mentee relationship. We bonded and talked about our backgrounds and training. So, I think what you see onscreen is authentic because of the relationship we developed off-screen.
Kay-B: I understand the trajectory of the story, and why things had to progress as they do, but because the crux of Aquaman is about familial relationships, I am all for more of that. So, this film is fantastic. If a sequel is given, what ideally would you like to see for David Kane and Black Manta?
Yahya: I would love to show more of his emotional range, and also tap into the weird side a bit more too. (laughs)
Kay-B: Also, Aquaman was surprisingly really funny. I wish we could see more of that from Black Manta.
Yahya: Right, I want to unlock his humor next time, which will be different from Aquaman’s but still there.
Kay-B: Yea, we definitely only got a peek into his weirdness, but something else I would love to highlight is his intelligence. When he gets the suit, he modifies it and that is impressive. So, tell me about what it was like to suit up? Don’t get me wrong, I love Aquaman’s suit, but Black Manta’s suit still might be my favorite. The suit is just so dope.
Yahya: Oh, it was an incredible experience to suit up. And I love that the suit looks like it’s from another planet, it’s not of this world. If we get a sequel, I am just looking forward to how the suit changes, pushing it’s limits and more.
Kay-B: Me too, I cannot wait. Last question, what are you hoping the fans walk away with after seeing this film?
Yahya: That they had a good time. That they were able to witness something so visually creative and just smile.
Everyone check out Aquaman in theaters now!
