For many a comic book fan, it may be with a sense of relief to hear the news that Aquaman director James Wan is seemingly distancing himself from the previous movies in the DCEU. Of course, in terms of continuity, that would be catastrophic and we’ll leave that to the numerous Joker films in production. But in terms of the feel and look of the solo effort, it seems set to be a breath of fresh air. Or, sea air at least
Aquaman was arguably the standout surprise success story in Justice League, no doubt down to the charisma, screen presence and yes, the look of Jason Momoa. This is surely something that DC are desperate to capitalize upon, with only Wonder Woman standing as a hands-down hit so far. At the moment, though, it certainly looks like they’re on the right track.
Speaking exclusively to Entertainment Weekly, the handsome front cover of which you can see here, Wan, of Furious 7 fame, revealed the following about what he has planned.
The water world my movie takes place in is so separate and so far apart from previous DC movies it’s like I’m making my own sci-fi fantasy film. This is a whole new underwater world nobody has seen before in live action.
It will certainly make for a refreshing change from seeing skyscrapers toppled, roads ripped up and towers totaled. Alongside the returning Amber Heard and Jason Momoa, the previously unseen cast of characters should help to keep things fresh, too, with appearances from Nicole Kidman’s Queen Atlanna, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as arch-enemy Black Manta and Patrick Wilson as the movie’s big bad, Ocean Master.
The creation of Arthur’s home of Atlantis has also given Wan carte blanche to be as creative as can be, with precious few recent superhero movies capitalizing on underwater scenes, let alone completely submerged cities. Let’s hope this DC film stands out for all the right reasons.
Aquaman looks set to make a splash (sorry) in theaters this December and that first trailer is surely not a million miles away. In fact, it may even be here tomorrow, so stay tuned.
