James Wan Breaks His Silence About DC's Cancelled Trench Spin-Off
James Wan can do no wrong. He broke into the mainstream as a horror-influenced director, helming the likes of "Saw," "Insidious," and "The Conjuring." There was quite a bit hanging in the balance when he moved into traditional blockbuster territory by leading the way on the action-oriented "Furious 7." By the way he handled the massive set pieces, you would've assumed he'd directed action flicks his entire life. It should've come as no surprise when 2018's "Aquaman" was a resounding success, both from the enthusiasm it generated from audiences and its box office haul.
It only makes sense DC Films would want to keep the filmmaker around, and he'll soon return to his bread and butter with the hotly anticipated "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." However, for a while, it seemed as though Wan was hell-bent on creating an entire Aquaman-centric cinematic universe. Shortly after the success of "Aquaman," Warner Bros. announced a spin-off film focused on the Trench featured heavily in the first movie. Sadly, it's since been announced that the spin-off has been canceled, but we're not willing to forget about this awesome "What if" just yet, especially given how Wan has revealed what the film would've really been about had it moved forward.
James Wan says "The Trench" movie would've centered on Black Manta
James Wan recently took to Instagram to show off the new and improved helmet Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) will sport in "Aquaman 2." As the filmmaker mentioned in the post next to the photo, the new gear was "inspired by the aesthetic of the Silver Age (and New 52, thank you @ivanreisart) comics." But even when looking toward "Aquaman 2," some fans couldn't wonder about what lies next for the series, with one fan writing, "Will you be doing a Black Manta streaming series? Maybe?" (via Gizmodo).
It's only natural to ask, especially seeing how DC Comics has a lot of streaming projects in the works, from "Peacemaker" to a show centered on the Gotham Police Department. Wan doesn't answer the question directly. Instead, he reveals the following tidbit: "I'll let you in on a secret, the canceled Trench spin-off movie was really going to be a secret Black Manta movie." It does fill in some puzzle pieces, seeing how there were plenty of fans wondering what exactly the "Trench" film would follow if it didn't center on Aquaman.
Now what we'd like to know is whether the "Trench" movie will be adapted into an HBO Max original series. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's portrayal of Black Manta is just too good to keep him confined to a supporting role, and a "Trench" show could be the perfect showcase for his skills. After all, Wan didn't say "No" to a Black Manta streaming series in his response ...