James Wan Says Canceled ‘Trench’ Film Was Actually A “Secret Black Manta Movie”

Remember “The Trench?” The odd DC Films project that was confusingly announced on the heels of the billion-dollar success of “Aquaman?” Well, apparently, the title was a bit of a red herring, and the unproduced feature (that was already canceled by WB) was actually a bit more interesting than initially thought. 

In a recent Instagram post (via io9), director James Wan shared some information on his “Aquaman” villain, Black Manta. The post isn’t all that enlightening, especially if you’re a fan of the comic book inspiration. However, the really juicy tidbit came in the comments under the post, where a fan asked Wan if he would make a Black Manta-focused film. In the reply, he let out a bit of a secret. 

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“I’ll let you in on a secret, the canceled ‘Trench’ spin-off movie was really going to be a secret Black Manta movie,” said Wan in a response.

For those that don’t know, “The Trench” was initially announced as a horror-focused spinoff film that was going to take the creepy monsters from “Aquaman” and expand on them in a new feature. People were initially confused by DC Films and WB would be interested in “The Trench” as a concept. However, when you see it in the light of being a “secret Black Manta movie,” it makes a lot more sense. Villain/anti-hero films seem to be all the rage in the superhero world, based on the success of “Joker,” “Suicide Squad,” “Venom,” and other projects. 

This might also explain why Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was convinced to play such a minor role in the first “Aquaman.” The actor is one of the biggest up-and-coming performers in Hollywood right now and seemed like an interesting choice to be relegated to a silly B-villain in Jason Momoa’s film. Now, with the knowledge that Black Manta was going to perhaps get his own film, it makes a lot more sense. 

At least, it’s being teased that we’re getting much more Black Manta in “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” So, that might be a bit of a consolation. That film is expected to arrive in theaters on December 16, 2022.