The Unexpected Way Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Describes Working On Films Like Aquaman

During a recent interview with Vulture, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II had quite a bit to say about the process of working on films like "Aquaman" and other less complex films. "Everything should be about getting to the truth," he said. "But sometimes you got to know which movie or genre you're in. Something like 'Aquaman,' that's clown work. 'Aquaman' is not 'The Trial of the Chicago 7.' You have got to get over yourself."

While this may be something of a blunt take for a working actor to have, it's not something that Abdul-Mateen seems to see as a negative. In fact, he elaborated further that being in roles like this also allows him more opportunity to surprise audiences with moments of depth or more complex thematic elements. "In order to survive [as an actor] and to do it well, you have to play that game and then be crafty about when you want to surprise the audience, the director, or yourself with a little bit of 'Wow, I didn't expect to see a Chekhovian thing or August Wilson and Aquaman, but I did.'"

Overall, Abdul-Mateen's perspective here seems like a more nuanced and balanced opinion than fans might be used to, especially in an era where the legitimacy of superhero films as proper cinema is a topic that's often debated by big names in the industry like Martin Scorsese (per The New York Times). Still, it'll be interesting to see how comic book lovers especially respond to Abdul-Mateen's point of view.