Aquaman’s The Trench spin-off was supposed to be a Black Manta story
When it was announced that the success of Aquaman was going to give us at least one sequel and a spin-off or two, we were optimistic. There was some concern about one of the spin-offs, The Trench movie, which would have taken a darker tone with horror vibes.
Then we learned that the proposed spin-off had been canceled. The Trench would remain dark and the horrors contained within off of our screens. It was sad news at the time and now, it is even sadder.
According to Collider, it turns out that The Trench spin-off was meant to be a covert Black Manta movie. It would have given us a chance to see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II back in action as our villain, and we are not okay.
The news about what The Trench movie was supposed to became straight from Director James Wan, in a comment on his Instagram. And maybe it is just me, but why would he tell us this? Why are you hurting us this way? What did they get from revealing the truth of The Trench spin-off? All they did was make us want what we aren’t getting even more.
The Trench was meant to be a Black Manta movie
So what exactly led to this reveal and what did Wan actually say?
It started with a post from James Wan where he shared a picture of Black Manta’s new helmet in the upcoming Aquaman sequel. A fan commented on the post asking Wan whether he would be interested in working on a Black Manta series or movie for HBO Max.
While the director did not outright answer the fan’s question, he did give us the heartbreaking news about what The Trench was meant to be. According to Wan, “the canceled Trench spin-off movie was going to be a secret Black Manta movie.” (Cue all of our tears!)
Whether or not The Trench movie was meant to be a horror story featuring Black Manta, or if the story evolved into one about the character, it doesn’t matter. After all, we aren’t getting it. So no Black Manta solo movie (at least not now) and no horror movie based in the world of Aquaman.
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What do you think? Are you even more upset about this news now that we know the truth about what The Trench was going to be about? Or do you think there is still hope for a Black Manta solo project?