Yahya Abdul-Mateen II says working in 'Aquaman' was like 'clown work'; 'Sometimes...'

Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, known for his role as Black Manta in Aquaman, recently compared working in superhero films to "clown work". The actor did not rate his participation very highly and said that it was nothing like working in other critically-acclaimed films like The Trial of the Chicago 7. 

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has contributed to both commercial and critical achievements, including The Matrix Resurrections and The Trial of the Chicago 7. In addition to being a part of Aquaman, he also had a superhero role in the HBO series Watchmen.

Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II sheds thoughts on working in 'Aquaman'

Opening up about the difference in working in both kinds of storytelling, Abdul-Mateen II said in a conversation with Variety, "Everything should be about getting to the truth. But sometimes you got to know which movie or genre you're in. Something like Aquaman, that's clown work. Aquaman is not The Trial of the Chicago 7. You have got to get over yourself."

He further talked about doing all kinds of roles so as to survive in the industry.

The 36-year-old actor went on to state, "In order to survive and to do it well, you have to play that game and then be crafty about when you want to surprise the audience, the director, or yourself with a little bit of 'Wow, I didn't expect to see a Chekhovian thing or August Wilson and Aquaman, but I did’."

Yahya played a pirate and mercenary who came into contact with Jason Momoa's titular superhero in the 2018 film Aquaman. Aquaman 2, titled Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom, was recently pushed to December 2023. The film is being produced by DC Films, The Safran Company, and Atomic Monster Productions, and is set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The film is directed by James Wan from a screenplay written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman alongside Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Kidman.

(Image: @yahya/Instagram)