Aquaman Star Calls Superhero Movies “Clown Work”
An actor from the Aquaman franchise might have gotten themselves in trouble, as they stated that the superhero genre is "clown work."
Fans of Aquaman might find themselves a little upset at the recent comments that were made by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The actor was recently interviewed by Vulture, where he spoke about his meteoric rise to superstardom. In talking about how he achieved such high status after only being in the acting game for six years, the actor spoke candidly about what it takes to appear in such vastly different films. According to Abdul-Mateen, “Everything should be about getting to the truth. But sometimes you got to know which movie or genre you’re in.” He added, “Something like Aquaman, that’s clown work. Aquaman is not The Trial of the Chicago 7. You gotta get over yourself.”
The comments of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II could be taken a bit out of context here, but calling the superhero genre “clown work” might not go over well for fans that are dedicated to those films. Quite honestly, his comments do seem a bit insulting at first glance, especially considering he portrayed one of the best villains in DC, Black Manta. That role is going to carry over into the sequel, as the man has been asked back to reprise his role for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. However, he could be meaning that the role is vastly different than a more politically charged film like The Trial of the Chicago 7. Clearly, the messages that are being delivered in those films are going to be vastly different from one another and he did state that everything is about getting to the “truth.”
In the defense of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, superhero movies do have a bit more flare to them. Although there are clear instances where those movies pull on everyone’s heartstrings, they do have more of a dedication to entertainment as well. We certainly watch the movies to see the grandiose fight scenes between heroes and villains. That could be the “clown work” that the actor is speaking about. The dressing up in full costume and pretending to be this being with immeasurable power. Still, Mateen might be pulling in the ire of many fans for saying something that seems like a pure insult. Then again, it is Aquaman, so people might be a bit more forgiving. No offense to DC, but their movies have been a mess for quite some time.
Fans will have to wait sometime until they get to see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, as the film has been delayed once again. This time, it has been pushed back to December of 2023. While fans patiently or impatiently wait to see this next chapter in the DCEU, they can pick apart Mateen’s comments, or just simply ignore them altogether. Hopefully, he is not going to be joining the closed mind opinion of someone like Martin Scorsese. Yeah, we said it.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrives in December of 2023, but Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is set to take on a role in a television series called Scent of Burnt Flowers. The man will also star in a film called Emergency Contact, which follows the underground music scene of Austin, Texas. We are not sure which of his upcoming starring efforts are going to come out first, but we can see his reprisal of Black Manta next Christmas.
