Warning: Potential SPOILERS for Aquaman
The movie version of Aquaman isn't the one comic fans expected, but when his iconic costume makes its debut in the DCEU, its new origin story will also rewrite comic history. That may not be as shocking as it sounds, and could end up causing even smaller waves than Jason Momoa's original casting (pun intended).
Still, with Aquaman's final movie costume now revealed, you would think that the surprise has been more or less spoiled. But fans of DC Comics have good reason to expect that director James Wan has another surprise up his sleeve. Because as famous as Aquaman's comic book look may be, the movie version will have to come up with a meaningful history for it, now that anticipation is higher than Aquaman skeptics ever thought possible.
That shouldn't be too hard, from the sound of James Wan's efforts to anchor the classic suit to Atlantis of old... because any origin story will beat the one in the comics.
- This Page: The Comic Origins of The Classic Aquaman Suit
- Page 2: Aquaman Movie Gives Classic Suit a New Origin
The Original Aquaman Suit Has No Actual Origin
Given the rich history and mythology surrounding the armor or symbols worn by Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash-- every member of the Justice League, actually, it will be hard to believe that the "classic" Aquaman costume is... just the one he was drawn in first. When he was created in 1941 by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris, there was no real explanation needed for his costume. The fish-like scale shirt and flippered pants fit his aquatic gimmick, and the colors stood out well against the colors of the ocean around him.
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Eventually Aquaman was rebooted with a new origin closer to his modern incarnation. That is, no longer a regular human whose explorer father uncovered the ruins of Atlantis, and raised his son to survive underwater. While the new origin from Robert Loren Fleming, Keith Giffen, and Curt Swan did give a new origin for his costume and name, it didn't stick. The orange and green suit was issued to Arthur Curry as an Atlantean prison uniform, and the "Aquaman" name a slur created by his fellow inmates.
Even though the orange-gold shirt of metallic scales and slim, finned green pants would become the "classic," or "true" costume for Aquaman, the same level of interest was simply never paid to his wardrobe as other members of DC's line-up. For fans of the design, that's the best proof available that in the first illustrations, the art team nailed it. The orange shirt, green pants, and soon, black trunks to match other costumed heroes evolved, but rarely strayed.
The golden-hued shirt was rendered in greater and greater detail, giving it the appearance of scale armor not unlike that of Marvel's Captain America (but in this case, making a bit more sense, given Aquaman's aquatic friends). The same went for Mera's first costume, which seemed to be woven from green seaweed, and never changed for good, either. Arthur's armor changed to incorporate more of the retiarius, or 'net-fighting' gladiators fashioned after fisherman. Single armed-armor, belt redesigns, and even a few lost hands later, Aquaman returned to his kingly chainmail for DC's New 52. Again, with no new 'origin' needed, or requested.
Zack Snyder's Justice League changed all that, making Arthur's tattoos a costume all their own, but making his Atlantean armor the costume of a king. At least, we're pretty sure that was the plan, before Joss Whedon's Justice League cuts erased most of Aquaman's story.
In test footage, Aquaman's eventual Justice League armor was shown being worn by a stone statue of a throned king. While the statue's crown and trident were left behind, Arthur seemingly donning the armor to go to war showed his journey home to Atlantis was only beginning. Thanks to special footage shown in Hall H during Comic-Con, fans know that journey ends with Aquaman's classic scale armor. But where exactly does it come from... and what does it represent? The movie's director offers one crucial detail...
Page 2 of 2: The Movie Gives Aquaman's Classic Suit a New Origin
How The Aquaman Movie Ties The Old Suit To Atlantis
When Screen Rant recently visited the editing bay of Aquaman to interview James Wan, we had the chance to see new footage of the film, including the suit of Atlantean armor Aquaman wears to battle Orm for the throne of Atlantis as part of an ancient ritual. We would encourage fans to read our descriptions of the new Aquaman scenes, but that armor doesn't seem to be tied to Arthur, specifically.
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Because who are we kidding: the movie is all building towards seeing Jason Momoa in the classic Aquaman. And as satisfying as it may be for seasoned comic book fans to see toy versions of the classic Aquaman suit adapted for film, that's nothing like seeing it in live action. The Hall H footage ends on that exact reveal, and when we re-watched that preview alongside James Wan, got the chance to ask about the challenge of adapting it.
Obviously the money shot of that Hall H footage is the traditional costume, right? The orange and green. How did you approach representing that visually in the movie?
Well... [Laughs]. The key was to try and take that classic outfit and make sure it's not goofy. Make sure it's not cheesy. We associate so much of the 'cheese' of the character with the Super Friends cartoon that we're familiar with... But that's also what makes him cool.
So it was taking that idea and making sure that that aesthetic fits with the look of what Atlantis is today--or what Atlantis was back then, and just trying to do it justice, but do it in a way that potentially winks at the classic, old costume.
It's nice to have the confirmation that the movie's version of the classic Aquaman suit won't be as slap-dash in origin as the actual comic book version. But it isn't just Wan's description of the suit as connecting to "what Atlantis was" that has us intrigued. Because the reveal in the trailer is accompanied by voiceover from Amber Heard's Mera, explaining to Arthur that Atlantis has had kings before, but now requires something... more. It requires a Hero.
The Aquaman Suit Connects To Atlantis... But Not Its King?
Even if fans will never get to see the steps that Zack Snyder originally planned to have Arthur take in donning the armor worn by King Atlan in the first war with Apokolips, that wasn't the whole story. At the time, Jason Momoa confirmed that Justice League isn't Arthur becoming king, since that story was obviously one that could only be told in a solo movie. And in the end, putting on Atlantean armor and wielding his mother's quindent is about acknowledging his past. But owning his future is something different.
If the classic, slimmed down costume eventually worn by Aquaman in his movie was the clothing of the king, it wouldn't be a surprise. But then, photos have shown what King Atlan's armor looked like, visible in his recorded message about the power of the King of Atlantis' true trident. Not to mention that Arthur choosing to wear the traditional garb of the king goes against Mera's own claim that his people need something more than what they've had.
But that doesn't answer the question: where does Arthur get his final, classic, comic book accurate armor? It's a moment that audiences will be waiting for, and a design that James Wan confirms they spent a great deal of time fitting into their story, and world. But it must also embody more than Atlantis--after all, Arthur Curry is more than just Atlantean. And if it's shaped by what Atlantis was, how far back should fans expect this new origin to go?
If Arthur dons the armor to become more than a king - a Hero - is it the clothing of an ancient hero? An Atlantean legend who also straddled the land and sea? An Atlantean from before the civilization was sunk? A commoner? Whatever the answer is, we're just relieved that Aquaman's famous suit will finally symbolize something.
stop running from his past, there was still a long way to go before he fully accepted it.
