Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is putting in the work! The acclaimed actor is gearing up for his role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and he’s putting on the muscle to pull it off.
Abdul-Mateen took to Instagram to show off his impressive physique with a snapshot of himself putting in some time at the gym.
In the impressive pic, Abdul-Mateen is rocking some grey sweats, black socks and no shirt — revealing his formidable abs, imposing pecs and impressive arms.
“?BLACK MANTA ? Back Under Construction! #Aquaman2” the 35-year-old star captioned the black-and-white selfie.
After starring as the god-like, blue-skinned Doctor Manhattan in HBO’s Watchman series, Abdul-Mateen is getting ready to reprise his role as Black Manta, the nemesis to Jason Momoa’s eponymous Aquaman.
It only makes sense then that Abdul-Mateen would be incline bench-pressing 100kgs to match Momoa’s famously built physique.
While this is the first real look Abdul-Mateen has given fans at the results of his hard work in the gym, he previously shared a different shirtless selfie to celebrate his efforts and a hard-earned weekend.
“Put in some crazy hours this week for #Aquaman2” he wrote, alongside a photo of himself in what appears to be a spa pool. “Now, kickin back, chillin, and celebrating the wins. Weekend EARNED!! ??”
Apart from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Abdul-Mateen has a seriously impressive slate of projects hitting theaters in the near future — with Candyman, The Matrix 4, the Michael Bay-directed action heist movie Ambulance, and the hotly anticipated Mad Max: Fury Road sequel, Furiosa.
Meanwhile, Abdul-Mateen’s Black Manta will face off against Momoa’s Aquaman when the long-awaited sequel hits theaters December 16, 2022.
Check out the video below to hear more from Abdul-Mateen about his upcoming projects
