One DCEU villain was cementing himself as the franchise’s best antagonist before the DCU reboot, but the new DC Universe can still save him. Throughout its 10-year run, the DC Extended Universe featured the live-action movie debut of several DC characters, including heroes as famous as Aquaman and Wonder Woman, as well as villains as popular as Darkseid or as obscure as White Dragon.
Some characters looked and acted quite different from usual, like Lex Luthor and Barry Allen, while others were incredibly faithful adaptations, like Harley Quinn and Amanda Waller. It’s no secret that the DCEU ended before its time, with most characters’ stories left unfinished. The whole DCEU was rewritten in The Flash’s final scene, and no character seems to have survived except Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen.
The DCEU’s Black Manta Has Been The One Of The Most Hateful DC Movie Villains Ever. Comic book villains often become popular due in great part to their recurring appearances. This is how rogue galleries like Batman’s and the Flash’s gain as much popularity as the heroes themselves. However, this usually isn’t the case in the movies. Live-action movie heroes tend to defeat their antagonists by the end of the movies the villains are introduced in, and it’s a rare occurrence to see a comic book movie villain return for a rematch.
In the DCEU, Yahya-Abdul Mateen II’s Black Manta returned twice to exact revenge on Aquaman — once in James Wan’s Aquaman and once in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Some villains stand out due to their exceptional hatred for a specific hero. Superman has Lex Luthor, Batman has the Joker, and Flash has Reverse Flash. In the DCEU, Superman only faced Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman only exchanged tense words with the Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and Reverse Flash never made a single DCEU appearance.
On the other hand, Black Manta came back stronger and angrier every time Aquaman defeated him, and his only goal was ruining Aquaman’s life. Black Manta’s return and dedication to his mission could have led to a fascinating exploration of his character, making him a standout in the DCEU. The DCEU’s Abrupt End Killed Black Manta’s Potential. Black Manta Could Have Broken A Superhero Movie Record.
