‘I was absolutely baffled’: Jason Momoa admits surprise that ‘Aquaman’ was so successful

Jason Momoa is opening up about wearing the mantle of Arthur Curry in the fan-favorite Warner Bros. Aquaman and what surprised him most as the film finally hit theaters, thus allowing fans to greet his version of the hero. 

Momoa’s rendition of Aquaman was one of the first notable times in entertainment that the character wasn’t somehow turned into a joke. Everything from South Park to Robot Chicken has used the character as a punchline, and it wasn’t something Momoa was immune to. 

Speaking to Variety, Momoa shared that the film’s success initially surprised him quite a bit. 

“Well, to be perfectly honest, I was absolutely baffled that Aquaman was received so well. I’ve done things that are amazing that no one sees and no one [cares] about. You just don’t know in this business. I don’t go do things and think, ‘Oh, I’m gonna get $1 billion on this one.’ I go in and do my best job.”

Don’t fret; it’s not that Momoa doesn’t think Aquaman deserves the praise. He is actually a fan of the character and gave a lot of himself to ensure he wasn’t seen as just the “ridiculed” comic book character he can often be written off as.

“It’s not that I don’t care about Aquaman; it’s a wonderful character. Aquaman is probably the hardest character in comic-book history. He’s made fun of and ridiculed, but I tried to give it heart and soul, and I’m proud of it in certain ways. Do I feel pressure for [the sequel] to do well? No. All I can do is give it my all. But it’s in a lot of other people’s hands.”

The film’s success isn’t solely on Momoa; it depends on many moving pieces, but the multitalented entertainment superstar did have more to do with Aquaman’s chapter than solely acting in it. He shared an important part of his heart for the upcoming story.

“The beautiful thing about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is me and my partner wrote the first treatment for it and it was about a 50-page treatment, and a lot of it has to deal with me talking to the U.N. about what’s happening with the melting ice caps. There’s no far off galaxy coming to destroy us or aliens from another place. It’s us ruining our planet. We need to get it together and save our home.”

The timely nature of the story isn’t lost on anyone, especially those who follow Momoa and understand that the heart and soul of his social media campaign lie in bringing awareness to the ocean and how we must make significant changes to ensure that the water and its species are kept safe for decades to come.

Here’s hoping Aquaman can save Atlantis in the upcoming film and that fans pay close attention to Momoa’s pleas to do the same for all of us and the children who will one day stand where we stood. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on Dec. 20, 2023.