Warner Bros. has finally found the right people to bring "Aquaman" villain Black Manta and the titular superhero's mother Queen Atlanna to life. Newcomer Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has landed the role of the wetsuit-sporting baddie, while Nicole Kidman will be crowned as the queen of Atlantis for this outing.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Abdul-Mateen won the role over the weekend, after several meetings between the production studio and director James Wan. Currently, Warner Bros. is negotiating with the actor, who can be seen in the Netflix show "The Get Down".

Black Manta has been one of Aquaman's main adversaries since his first appearance in "Aquaman" # 35 in September 1967. Wearing a high-tech battle suit that lets him breathe underwater and project optic blasts from his helmet, he frequently clashes with the prince of Atlantis with the goal to claim power by conquering Atlantis.

At one point, he was turned into a human-manta ray hybrid that gave him additional abilities, like a natural ability to breathe underwater and a tail that he uses as a weapon. This transformation was reversed, however, when Aquaman used the Healing Hand of the Lady of the Lake on him.

As for Nicole Kidman, Collider reports that she would play one of two versions of Arthur's mother, which also happens to be the Atlantean queen. While there are differences with the versions of her story, both still end with her demise. This could mean that the Oscar-winning actress may not stay in the movie for long.

Aside from Black Manta, Aquaman, played by Jason Mamoa, will also be facing Orm Marius, aka Ocean Master, with Patrick Wilson playing the part. It looks like the half-Atlantean prince will have his hands full in his first solo flick. However, he will be backed up by his advisor Dr. Vulko, to be portrayed by Willem Dafoe, and Mera, brought to life by Amber Heard, who will also be his love interest.

"Aquaman" is scheduled for a 2018 release

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