DC Producer Talks Aquaman, Still “Early Days” On James Wan’s Feature Film

We’re still a full three years from the release of James Wan’s Aquaman standalone feature, but fans will still be able to gauge the performance of Game of Thrones alum Jason Momoa as the aquatic king in next year’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – which ought to silence any naysayers, according to the actor.

As things stand, Wan, fresh from his box office-shaking turn at the helm of Furious 7, has returned to his horror roots in order to direct The Conjuring: The Enfield Poltergeist. Acting as something of a palette cleanser before the director’s first foray into the superhero genre, DC producer Charles Roven has revealed that Wan is a major fan of Aquaman, and production will get underway as soon as the filmmaker releases The Conjuring 2.

In an interview with Collider, Roven confirmed that it’s still “very early days” on production of the live-action standalone alone film, though the producer was full of confidence when talking about the nascent screenplay and Wan’s commitment to the vision.

“We’re very early days. We’re just starting with the screenplay. He’s making The Conjuring 2 now, so he’s had his hand in the creation of let’s just call it a working document from which to write. But he’s directing that film [and] he’s got his hand ever so slightly in the development, but he’s really gonna throw himself into it after he finishes shooting Conjuring 2. And we’re planning on it being his film after Conjuring 2. He is a serious Aquaman fan.”

Speaking generally about the DC Expanded Universe, Roven then went on to assess the slate of filmmakers that Warner Bros. has recruited for its superhero slate. Although Zack Snyder is very much acting as the focal point, with hands in both Dawn of Justice and the two-part Justice League, the likes of David Ayer (Suicide Squad), Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman) and now James Wan for Aquaman ensures that the studio upholds a diverse roster of talent behind the lens.

“That’s a perfect example—him and [David] Ayer, and Patty [Jenkins], they’re perfect examples of what I’m talking about, to bring people in. Fertile creative minds who can say, ‘Okay, we get the road map, now let’s talk about doing this or doing that.’ It’s fun to have that flexibility and yet commonality.”

Jason Momoa will command the seven when DC’s Aquaman standalone feature will debut in theaters on July 27, 2018.