James Wan says his canceled Aquaman spin-off, The Trench, was actually a movie about Black Manta. Wan directed Aquaman as his DCEU feature debut in 2018. The movie, which starred Game of Thrones' Jason Momoa, served as a solo venture for the actor's Arthur Curry, as he sets out to take control of the Kingdom of Atlantis from his half-brother, King Orm (Patrick Wilson) and save the surface world. Aquaman proved to be a bona fide hit at the box office; collecting $1 billion worldwide, it became the highest-grossing film for the entire DC franchise. With its success, WB and DC Films naturally sought to expand the franchise. A sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, was immediately confirmed, and in 2019, the spin-off movie The Trench was also put in development.
Described as a "horror-tinged" expansion of the underwater world Aquaman simply scratched the surface of, The Trench was being produced by Wan, with Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald writing the screenplay. When WB announced its plans for the movie, it stated that The Trench would revolve around the bloodthirsty amphibious monsters that Arthur and Mera (Amber Heard) faced when they set out to sail in the middle of the ocean in Aquaman, a scene that is described as the movie's most riveting set piece. After the announcement, progress on the movie remained slow, and finally, in April 2021, WB confirmed that it wouldn't be moving forward with The Trench. Discussions about the film have since petered out, although now a new revelation seems to have reignited interest in the movie.
Recently, while responding to a fans' comment on his Instagram post, James Wan revealed that the canceled The Trench movie actually centered on Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Aquaman villain, Black Manta/David Kane. Basically, Wan had uploaded a bunch of photos to Instagram offering a look at Black Manta, his costume, ship, and technologically advanced gadgets as seen in Aquaman 2's BTS trailer at the DC FanDome. In his post, Wan described the character's Silver Age and New 52 inspirations, at the same time acknowledging the conscientious efforts that went into bringing the character to life. There were several comments on Wan's post, but only one, in particular, asked if there were any plans for a Black Manta spin-off series. As Wan replied to that comment, he made the stunning disclosure about The Trench being a Black Manta movie. Take a look at Wan's post, as well as his conversation in the comments below:
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Given the Trench's comic book origins and Black Manta's story in the comics, it's perceivable why and how the movie would have focused on the high-seas mercenary. In the comics, the Trench is introduced as a tribe that had survived the fall of Atlantis and had adapted to living in the eponymous deep and narrow hole near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The Trench follows the wielder of the Dead King's Scepter, and although the wielder doesn't have any mystical control over them, they still take the person to be their leader as a tradition. There is one point in the comics where the Scepter is stolen by Black Manta from a tomb, which enables him to rule over the tribe with an iron fist.
Although Abdul-Mateen II's Black Manta did not receive a solo film, he is still expected to appear in a substantial role in Aquaman 2. At the moment, details on Black Manta's character arc in the upcoming sequel are unclear, but the newly revealed information about The Trench movie may now help fans figure out more about Abdul-Mateen II's role. Chronologically, The Trench was supposed to be set between Aquaman and Aquaman 2. So, if the movie had happened, it could have seen Black Manta assume his role as the leader of the Trench. This could have provided the essential backstory for Black Manta in Aquaman 2 and made his incorporation into the film easier. But now, since The Trench isn't happening, it's possible that Wan has tweaked that story. Wan might also have left the room open in Aquaman 2 to do a The Trench movie about Black Manta later, although this is something fans will only know for sure when the sequel premieres.
Source: James Wan
