Black Manta’s New Costume: 7 Biggest Changes In Aquaman 2 Explained

Black Manta returns and is out for blood in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and the villain sports an upgraded suit to hunt Arthur Curry.

Summary

  • Black Manta’s new suit in Aquaman 2 is slimmer and tighter, resembling real-world wetsuits to improve underwater mobility.

  • Black Manta’s silver helmet in Aquaman 2 is a faithful recreation of the comic book version, adding to the character’s iconic look.

  • Black Manta’s new suit loses the bulky armor and red details on the body, possibly indicating a power upgrade and a sleeker, more intimidating appearance.

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The first full trailer of Aquaman and the lost kingdom is finally out, and clear shots of Black Manta are revealed showing off the villain’s new suit. The appearance of David Kane, also known as Black Manta, has always been defined by his iconic oversized helmet with glowing red eyes that fire powerful energy blasts. While this distinctive feature of the silhouette is still intact, many other parts of the outfit are markedly different. It hasn’t been revealed why yet, but certain changes and details could lead to some interesting story beats for Aquaman’s archenemy.

While Black Manta spends much of Aquaman As a secondary antagonist, he seems to be ascending to full-fledged main villain. Aquaman and the lost kingdomThe story driven by revenge. Armed with the Black Trident, Manta sets out to destroy both Atlantis and the people Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, holds dear. It’s entirely possible that Black Manta will go through a few different upgrades to his suit on that trip, but the version seen so far looks bold and fresh, while retaining several familiar elements.

7 Black Manta’s new costume is more stylized

Black Manta in the first Aquaman movie

In the first Aquaman In the film, Black Manta sports a bulky, utilitarian suit covered in bulbous panels on his arms and torso. While the oversized helmet and other design elements clearly take the look into the realm of sci-fi, there’s still a very solid look that helped it become one of the DCEU’s best-looking suits. Without the helmet, the whole outfit looks like something that could be worn by a near-future military combatant participating in amphibious exercises, which fits with David Kane’s lack of superpowers.

However, the Black Manta suit has received a major cut to Aquaman and the lost kingdom. Gone are the bulky panels, replaced by a sleek, form-fitting black fabric. It’s unclear if there will be a specific narrative justification for the transition or if it will be left to the imagination, but it should be much more mobile for actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II during action scenes that aren’t fully CGI. The new suit looks more like real-world wetsuits, which makes sense considering much of the movie will presumably take place underwater.

6 Black Manta has a new, silverier helmet

Black Manta wielding two weapons in Aquaman 2

Black Manta’s helmet in the first one. Aquaman The movie was fairly faithful to the comics, but the version in the upcoming DC movie is an even more faithful recreation of the page. In the first film, Black Manta’s oversized helmet was black with a matte finish that matched his jumpsuit. In the sequel, Black Manta sports a silver helmet made of reflective metal.

5 Black Manta does not appear armored in Aquaman 2

Black Manta without his helmet in Aquaman 2

As part of Black Manta’s stylish redesign, the villain apparently lost his suit’s armor. At first glance this seems like a serious mistake. Kane doesn’t have superpowers, but he is entering into battle with one of the Justice League’s physically strongest heroes. Even without his trident, Aquaman should be able to easily defeat an unarmed human, so Black Manta must have some other form of protection.

He Aquaman and the lost kingdom The trailer shows Black Manta with the Black Trident, and it’s entirely possible that the magical artifact gave Kane superhuman strength and durability. Another option is that he has found a new, incredibly strong fabric to make his suit that offers protection without the bulk. While it may be a stretch, Manta may have even found salvaged Kryptonian fabric or purchased some on the black market.

4 Black Manta’s New Costume Has More Pronounced Oxygen Lines

Black Manta preparing for battle in Aquaman 2

It may be a relatively small detail, but Black Manta’s new costume features large, pronounced oxygen lines connecting the helmet to the body. In the first film, these lines were still present, but they fit snugly to the body and connected the oxygen tank to the suit around the lower abdomen and over the shoulders. Manta now has more comic-accurate connectors that arc out from his helmet before connecting to his back.

These lifesavers will most likely cause problems for Black Manta in his quest to destroy Aquaman. Since David Kane can’t breathe underwater like Atlanteans can, these large arched tubes are very obvious and accessible weak points that could leave Black Manta gasping for air and in serious trouble. Since Aquaman is known for his long melee weapon with significant range, time will tell if Black Manta takes any steps to keep his precious oxygen supply safe in combat.

3 Black Manta has ditched the utility belt

Black Manta hovers over Aquaman in Aquaman 2

Utility belts are a staple of non-superpowered superheroes, and Black Manta had one on his Aquaman suit. It was sometimes hard to see because it was pure black over a black suit, and was never actually worn on camera, but it fit with Kane’s military futurism-themed ensemble. It probably matches the Manta’s sleeker look. Aquaman and the lost kingdom suit, he has taken off his tool belt. Now it is uninterrupted material from the chest to the feet.

2 Black Manta only has a wrist gun in Aquaman 2

Black Manta's doll blade in Aquaman

In AquamanBlack Manta’s most devastating weapon was the energy blast he could project from his helmet. However, when more finesse was required, he could use blades that extended from thick gauntlets on each wrist. However, Manta’s fancy new suit eliminates them. Instead, the new suit has a block-shaped silver gauntlet on the left wrist that likely houses a similar weapon (and probably more). In the shots released so far, the other doll is just a sleeve.

The lack of more traditional weapons in Black Manta’s new suit makes sense as the villain will receive a huge power upgrade. The first trailer and the official synopsis of Aquaman and the lost kingdom Teases that Black Manta”He is more formidable than ever and wields the power of the mythical Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force.“With an enchanted trident, a simple sword seems unnecessary and disappointing.

1 Black Manta’s new outfit loses the red accents on the body

Black Manta charging an energy blast in Aquaman 2

Black Manta’s suit has always been predictably black, but his clothing in Aquaman It had a visually striking set of bright red accents located on the right and left sections of the ribcage (and placed to reflect its shape). They didn’t serve any obvious function, but the splash of color broke up what would otherwise be a very homogenous set of colors. Black Manta’s new suit abandons the red details and instead opts for pure black and silver in addition to the red eyes.