Aquaman 2 Star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Is Getting Ripped for Black Manta Return Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the long-awaited sequel to the 2018 DC Comics blockbuster. The film is set to see the return of multiple of the franchise's principal cast members, including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. The actor has showcased a bit of his behind-the-scenes process training for the film, and he did so once again earlier this week, posting a photo of him shirtless by a weightlifting bench. Abdul-Mateen II's caption proclaims that Black Manta is "back under construction." View this post on Instagram "Anywhere where he has a device or plot to get back to Aquaman, he’s going to use it. So, he can show up wherever,” Abdul-Mateen shared with ComicBook.com at the time. “But when he does I hope that we get to see more of his wit and more of the comedic parts of Black Manta and see more of the things that make him [the Black Manta] that I know and the human that the fans, and the people in this universe, have grown to love over the years.”