As DC fans are well aware, the final cut of Justice League was given over to replacement director Joss Whedon after original filmmaker Zack Snyder was removed from the production during reshoots. On paper, having The Avengers helmer take over the movie could have been great, but Whedon’s love of endless quips just didn’t gel with this team of characters, including Wonder Woman, Batman and Aquaman.
Speaking of Aquaman, Arthur Curry’s solo movie is the first film in the DC universe to follow Justice League, and it turns out that it could’ve presented the character more in line with how he was in that movie. According to industry insider Neil Daly – who works closely with the studio – director James Wan went behind Warner Bros.’ back to consult with Snyder, who gave Wan’s vision for the King of Atlantis his blessing.
“We could have gotten a whole movie about Aquaman basically fawning over Mera the whole time and making all kinds of dirty jokes and things like that and they really had to get away from that, which is all what Whedon had done, so Snyder had a little bit of an influence on Aquaman. James Wan was showing Zack Snyder – against the studio’s wishes – cuts of the movie and early test screenings and storyboards to make sure that they’re on the same page with what he originally wanted and Snyder gave his blessing of approval, bringing it back to what he wanted all along.”
It’s interesting to note that WB were dead set against Wan going to Snyder, which goes to show just how severe the split between the director and the studio was following his firing from Justice League. We’re pretty sure that Warner execs won’t hold any grudges on that front, though, seeing as Wan’s shepherding of Aquaman has led to the once-mocked character now being the star of what’ll surely end up being the highest-grossing DC movie of all-time.
It’s a shame JL turned out the way it did, as it’s been said that Snyder’s cut of the film would’ve had it directly lead into the plot of Aquaman, joining up the dots of the DCEU that much more. As it is though, Aquaman takes a large step away from the team-up movie, with just a brief reference to its events to tell us that it hasn’t been retconned out of continuity. Not that many would mind if it were, though.
