Aquaman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II believes the upcoming sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, blows the first movie out of the water. The actor, who will reprise the role of ruthless mercenary David Kane AKA Black Manta, reveals that, not only does the sequel give him a lot more to do, but that the script is simply better overall.

"I think the script is better than it was in the first one. It gives the actors a lot of good storytelling moments. In Aquaman, we just got a small introduction to Black Manta and to some of his motivations. In this one, I get to exercise and breathe a little bit more. I'm showing some different colors with this one....The bad guy is always more interesting to explore."

Abdul-Mateen is not wrong in claiming that the villain is often a lot more interesting to explore than the hero, and the actor clearly cannot wait to dive into the psyche of Black Manta. Abdul-Mateen has discussed his return to the world of DC previously, revealing his hopes for the character moving forward. "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," the actor shared with ComicBook.com. "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."

Abdul-Mateen's role in the DC follow-up is likely to be a substantial one, with the actor reportedly filming until November 2021, and this should give him plenty of time to fully realize the aspirations he has for the character.

While plot details for Aquaman 2 remain largely under wraps, the full title of the movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, is potentially a major giveaway. Hinting at the direction of the sequel alongside the fully revealed title, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was recently given the intriguing working title, Necrus, which could very well offer some insight into the plot. Necrus should be familiar to DC fans as the name of another underwater city akin to Aquaman's native Atlantis. It is unique in that it only exists for very brief intervals of time and can never be found in the same location twice. Known as "The Black City," Necrus is ruled over by a tyrant king and is completely militaristic, which should prove a challenge for the underwater superhero should Necrus turn out to be part of the story.

Set to be directed once again by James Wan, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will also reunite several members of the cast from the first movie, including Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Orm Marius/Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, and Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Arthur's father. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled to be released on December 16, 2022.

As for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the quickly rising star has several tentpole projects on the horizon, including Candyman, The Matrix 4, and Mad Max prequel Furiosa. This comes to us from The Hollywood Reporter.