Since 1941 Aquaman has been a relatively popular character among superhero fans. Despite him not having quite the same amount of storylines or profit garnered by others like the Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, the water-breathing hero still kept up quite a large fan base. As the king of the sea, Aquaman has the power to breathe underwater, increased speed, and inhuman strength. He can also speak and command sea creatures. Generally depicted with a bright orange top and light green pants, DC’s Justice League decided to make those colors a little more on the darker side. But in Aquaman, he regains his classic colors that have always depicted how most fans view Aquaman.
Before the DCEU was pushing out movies like Justice League and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Aquaman appeared in the popular television show Smallville for a short period of time. There was an attempt to use that appearance to produce a Smallville spin-off based on Aquaman, but due to various reasons, it never happened. It wasn’t until Justice League that Aquaman truly hit the big screen and made a splash with the public, in no short part thanks to Jason Momoa’s depiction of the classic underwater superhero.
Fan excitement for an Aquaman solo movie shot through the roof, leading to the announcement of Aquaman for late 2018. But this Aquaman fever didn’t stop, even as the movie began to play in theaters. Theories and predictions are already being spun and broadcasted for what will happen in the Aquaman sequel. Who will be the villain? What storyline will it follow? Will we see other Justice League superheroes make cameos?
Without further ado, here are 19 New Aquaman Fan Theories (And 6 That Were Confirmed By Movie)!
new - Aquaman Will Be A Tyrant
In the final battle of Aquaman, Arthur attacks all of the fighting parties regardless of who they were. It didn’t matter if they were the crabs defending their home or the attacking kingdoms- they all passed away due to him and his giant sea creature. Then, with the King Atlan’s trident, he brings them to his side. Forcefully. Or so interprets this fan theory.
With his newfound power, no one can argue with Aquaman anymore and his decisions are final. The promising features of a potentially tyrannical ruler. Will Aquaman resist the temptations of power or will it corrupt his rule in future sequels?
new - Aqualad Will Appear In The Aquaman Sequel
Even though the first Aquaman movie just came out and Black Manta was only recently introduced, fans are already pushing for Aqualad to be part of the sequel. Aqualad, a consistent character in DC’s Young Justice, is not only one of Aquaman’s sidekick but also the son of Black Manta.
It would certainly be an interesting twist of fate to have Aquaman’s biggest foe and most trusted sidekick be blood-related. Some people expected there to at least be an Aqualad cameo in the first movie, but since there wasn’t, the prominent Young Justice sidekick is suspected to make his entrance in the next (or at least fans hope).
new - Aquaman Is Of Kryptonian Heritage
It’s been a few years since this theory was originally put forth, but it still hasn’t really been answered and continues to be a point of contention between fans of the DC universe. In a certain sense, it does sound like it could be true. With their superhuman strength, speed, and ability to breathe underwater, it wouldn’t be reaching that far out there to assume a connection between the Atlanteans and Kryptonians.
Even perhaps with the Amazonians. The fan theory notes as possible evidence how the Kryptonian scouting ship in Man of Steel was estimated to have arrived around 18,000 years ago. That’s long enough to reasonably think there might be a connection to be made between the two species.
new - Next Movie: Death Of A Prince?
One of the most famous Aquaman storylines is the Death of a Prince. In this storyline Aquababy, the child of Aquaman and Mera, is eliminated by Black Manta. Aquaman then goes after Black Manta for revenge, but is unable to bring himself to take down the villain. Later, because of this traumatic passing, the two split up.
This storyline had such an emotional impact on fans that it’s still talked about fervent tones over 40 years later. Although fans love this storyline and find it to be one of the most immersive plots, it might be too far from the generally “family friendly” setting of most superhero movies. In fact, any plot that involves eliminating a child is probably not something DC or Marvel have any intention of touching with a 15-foot pole. It’s possible but improbable.
new - Aquaman Sequel Round Two With Black Manta
Since Black Manta wasn’t technically the main villain in Aquaman, some are speculating that the sequel will be focused on the conflict between Black Manta and Aquaman. The basis of the theory is from the pre-credits scene where Black Manta is being helped by Dr. Shin.
There are a bunch of other villains from Aquaman which could be picked for the second movie, but having a round 2 that focuses more on Aquaman and Black Manta could really play on the grand enmity between the two. Black Manta is, after all, probably Aquaman’s most feared enemy.
new - The Aquaman Movies Will Save the DCEU
There’s been a lot of talk about what Aquaman will mean for the DCEU. After the flop of Justice League, the less than popular Man of Steel, and the widely criticized Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a lot of fans became uncertain of DC’s future in superhero movies. Wonder Woman came as quite a surprise, as did its 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But was it enough to carry the entire DCEU? The general thought was no, one movie was not enough. So when Aquaman was put on the superhero horizon, rumors abounded about what it could mean for the DCEU.
And as Aquaman’s box office results soar to sky-high levels, it becomes increasingly possible that the combined earnings of Wonder Woman and Aquaman will bring the DCEU back from under the MCU’s shadow.
new - Dr. Stephen Shin Might Try To end Aquaman
There’s a relatively popular event in the comic books where Dr. Stephen Shin (played by Randall Park in Aquaman) tries to convince Arthur to reveal the location of Atlantis to him. But, when that doesn’t happen, Shin attempts to end Aquaman. Even if Shin isn’t the main villain, the pre-credit scene suggests that he might team up with Black Manta for the next movie.
Fans are a bit curious as to what Dr. Shin brings to the table when teaming up with Black Manta, but as both of them are central to many Aquaman storylines in the comics having them by a villain team is definitely possible. And, if they’re the bad guys, it’s likely their goal will be to take down Aquaman. Especially considering Black Manta’s hatred of Aquaman.
new - Lex Luthor Will Team Up With Black Manta
A lot of Legion of Doom rumors have been circulating around the DCEU for a while now, ever since Justice League first came out. Even before then, considering that the Legion of Doom is one of the main villain groups, most people hoped they would show from the get-go.
But now that we’ve seen Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Black Manta in Aquaman, fans are jumping at the possibility of the two meeting either in an Aquaman sequel or the next Justice League movie. It would be a good way to connect two movies in the same universe.
new - Vulko Will Be The Real Bad Guy
Throughout the movie there were scenes were Vulko was giving advice and suggestions to King Orm. He was revealed in the movie to be on Aquaman’s side, but fans discussed how they were all waiting for Vulko to turn around and demonstrate how he was the real villain.
That certainly never happened in the movie, but there’s speculation how in the sequels that might be revealed. In fact, some are even wondering if Vulko will try to take over the throne from Aquaman, pointing out how those of the above world are actually a threat to them.
new - Aquaman Saved Clark Kent In Man Of Steel
One theory that’s been prevalent in the superhero community ever since the release of Man of Steel in June of 2013, is whether or not Aquaman saved Clark Kent in the movie’s oil rig scene. It made sense, but it was difficult to ascertain without confirmation by the writers, or at least the actors.
In 2017, however, Jason Momoa confirmed that Aquaman did, in fact, have a hand in Clark Kent being saved. The theory isn’t confirmed in any of the movies and the two definitely didn’t officially meet until Justice League, but it is a nice little piece of off-screen canon that can make the world a bit more fleshed out for fans.
new - Seventh Underwater Kingdom Will Play A Part in Sequels
Atlantis. The Brine. Xebel Tribe. The Trench. The Fishermen. Deserters Kingdom. That makes six underwater kingdoms, each which were mentioned and discussed in Aquaman. But what about the seventh, the Lost Kingdom?
Fans have speculated about how the initial promo for Aquaman talked about uniting the seven kingdoms but that there were only six kingdoms in the movie. The fact that the movie didn’t even bother mentioning it, much less glossing over it, makes some fans believe that it was a conscious choice by writers to best set up its appearance in the sequel.
new - The Sub-Diego Storyline Is Next
There are many different storylines that Aquaman writers can pull from for the sequel, but none would have quite the impact that of sinking San Diego. Not only would this demonstrate to the world the possible existence of Atlantis, but would also help further the DC universe that’s been created.
The sinking of San Diego could be referred to in future DC movies similar to how Marvel movies refer to the Avenger’s battle in New York. It might not be the greatest of Aquaman storylines and it might lack in emotional pull compared to the Death of a Prince arc, but it follows the same theme as previous superhero movies and would have an obviously large impact on the DC world.
new - Black Manta Will Trick Dr. Stephen Shin
It’s very obvious in Aquaman that Dr. Stephen Shin is obsessed with proving the existence of Atlantis and revealing it to the world. But is Shin a villain? Is he evil enough to conspire with Black Manta to end Aquaman, just to have Atlantis revealed? Some argue yes, pointing to how ambition can be a corrupting force.
But other fans believe it’s more likely that Black Manta will trick Shin. While Shin is focused on Atlantis and proving that he isn’t a fraud, Black Manta will use that desire as a cover from trying to eliminate Aquaman.
new - Atlantean Wedding in Aquaman Sequel
Will Aquaman and Mera get married in the Aquaman sequel? The pair proved to be quite a hit with audiences and people enjoyed the chemistry demonstrated by the two actors, Jason Momoa and Amber Heard. Fans speculate at how this romance could translate into the next movie.
Since marriage was a fairly prominent topic throughout the movie (his mother’s arranged marriage with King Orvax and King Orm’s arranged marriage with Mera), it makes sense to keep that theme going in the sequel as well. And who doesn’t love a good wedding between superheroes? Not only would it secure Aquaman’s position as King, but would also be a fun scene for comic book fans!
new - Wonder Woman Cameo in Sequel
An interesting theory, that is perhaps more of just a hope, is that Wonder Woman will make a cameo in the Aquaman sequel. Grace Randolph in Beyond The Trailer talks about the possible Poseidon angle that could be touched upon with Wonder Woman’s introduction or even connect it to Poseidon’s son, Triton.
With the success of the Wonder Woman film over the other DCEU movies like Justice League and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it’s definitely more probable for Wonder Woman to make a cameo than any of the other superheroes. Who knows? Perhaps she’ll be in the sequel for multiple scenes, one scene, or not at all. But there are definitely fans who think she’ll at least be making a cameo. After all, both are heroes from the most popular DCEU movies so combining them just makes sense!
new - Harpoon Hand
One of the most iconic characteristics of Aquaman in the comics is his harpoon hand. Before the Aquaman movie was released, fans were speculating whether or not Aquaman would lose his hand in order to adopt the iconic look.
Although that was quickly denied for the first movie, Peter David said that he expects Jason Momoa’s Aquaman to lose his hand in the sequel. The speculation is split as some fans think it would be great to see the new comic’s Aquaman on the big screen, while others think it might be a bit too reminiscent of Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars series.
new - Aquaman Sequel Villain: King Shark
The Aquaman comics have quite a few villains that writers can pull from, but none quite fit the “sea” theme as well as King Shark some fans argue. He does, after all, have the body of a shark. One of the most ferocious water creatures known to man.
Despite Black Manta being a more well-known villain, King Shark would be a way to keep the movie centered on underwater kingdoms and conflict, as opposed to focusing on the interpersonal conflict of Aquaman and Black Mantis. It would be quite interesting as well to see how well the CGI for King Shark would look.
new - Aquaman Might Fight Darkseid
As one of the most popular villains in the DCEU, fans want to see Darkseid in action against any one of the Justice League superheroes, if not all of them in an actual Justice League movie. But previously, Aquaman wasn’t on the list of possibilities.
After all, he was simply much too weak to take on a powerful adversary like Darkseid. Now that Aquaman has Atlan’s Trident, however, the story is different. It’s a giant power-up that might make him able to fight Darkseid, even if he can’t defeat him in a one on one. Could make for an interesting plotline, if only to set up a larger one in a Justice League sequel.
new - Aquaman Might Be Stronger Than Superman
There’s been a pretty large debate recently over whether Aquaman, now that he has Atlan’s Trident, will be on par in terms of raw power with Superman. Some argue that even if Aquaman isn’t on equal terms with Superman, the military might that Aquaman has at his disposal easily puts equalizes their level of strength.
On the other hand, however, others argue that this is simply impossible. He might be on Wonder Woman’s level, maybe, but with the ease of which Superman took apart Steppenwolf, there must still be a particularly large gap between the two heroes. Hopefully, the Justice League sequel (if there is one) will answer that for us.
confirmed - Aquaman Obtains King Atlan’s Trident
Before the Aquaman movies came out in theaters, people were already guessing at what storyline it will follow and how Aquaman will obtain Atlan’s Trident. One of the most popular theories and common consensus among fans was that there would be something guarding the Trident.
Something powerful that would be akin to a “challenge” for Aquaman. Even so, the mythical looking Karathen creature was a surprise to most fans despite the fact they were predicting something to be guarding it. Fortunately, this theory was confirmed and Aquaman didn’t simply grab it without a contest.