Zack Snyder's time leading the DCEU may be over, but the Aquaman movie looks to have at least one homage to his and Henry Cavill's Superman, and the trail first blazed by Man of Steel's reboot.
That's judging by the latest newest trailer for Aquaman, which finally shows off more of star Jason Momoa in the classic comic costume. The secrecy surrounding the gold-and-green suit has led fans to believe that Arthur Curry's decision to don the armor will be just as important as the first time Superman put on his own uniform, if not more. Now, the trailer shows Aquaman may go one step further in honoring Henry Cavill's "first flight" sequence in Man of Steel.
Man of Steel's First Flight
Some DC fans may not remember, but the very first glimpse of Henry Cavill in the Kryptonian Superman suit came in just a few moments of footage at the end of the very first Man of Steel teaser. Where previous versions depicted Superman standing proud, hands on hips, chest puffed, Man of Steel did something different. The world met the new Superman flying straight up into the sky, filmed from afar in profile, showcasing the air compressing ahead of him as he soared to full speed.
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While Clark Kent's own ascent would be a bit rougher in the movie, the way Snyder revealed the boundary-smashing nature of his Superman was impossible to forget. And now it seems fans will get a strong reminder of the Man of Steel's debut when watching Aquaman, as well.
Aquaman's 'First Swim' Homage
The above image comes courtesy of the recently released, Chinese trailer for Aquaman. Aside from showing more (or different segments) of the film's massive battle, the footage also includes a handful of shots of Jason Momoa in the gold and green armor. None is more striking than the shot included above, with Aquaman glimmering in the ancient armor of his people, trident held above his head, soaring straight up towards the surface - and the water doing its very best to help conjure the image of Henry Cavill's Superman breaking the sound barrier.
Considering how closely Zack Snyder and James Wan worked to bring the aquatic hero to movie audiences - first in Batman v Superman and Justice League, preparing Arthur for his launch into Aquaman - the shared imagery makes sense, even if James Wan doesn't confirm it as an explicit callout to his creative collaborator. And if the shot of Aquaman racing out of the ocean depths follows his discovery of the King of Atlantis' armor, then his first time pushing it, himself, and his trident to the limits is an unmistakable echo of Superman's own debut. In much the same way as the comics, Superman on film has forged the path for his fellow heroes to follow.
More than most, it makes sense that Superman's famous origin story should echo throughout Aquaman's. Two sons of two different people, called upon to unite then, but first must oppose a brother who wishes to crush one with the other. And hey, a fearsome, fearless redhead to help urge him along his path to greatness, too. We don't know how closely the tones of Snyder's and Wan's take on Aquaman will fall, but DCEU fans have at least one moment to look forward to - paying testament to both Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill's contributions to superhero history.
