Aquaman Won't Be King Until the End of his Solo Film

Jason Momoa revealed that Aquaman won't be fully realized until the end of the 2018 Aquaman solo film. The latest from director James Wan isn't due out until the end of 2018, but Momoa is set to play a major role as Arthur Curry in November's Justice League from Zack Snyder. Trailers and clips have shown that the Game of Thrones actor certainly looks the part, but based on the way he has described the character, he won't necessarily act like the heir to the throne of Atlantis right away.

Justice League is expected to explore the backstories of its heroes, particularly the newcomers: Aquaman, Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher). Not much has been revealed about Arthur Curry in particular beyond the visuals, but new info has begun to emerge now that D.C. and Warner Bros. have kicked off Aquaman Week. Momoa also continues to promote his appearance in both films, and he revealed some interesting details about his character in a new interview.

Speaking to SFX Magazine, Momoa described Curry as something of a reluctant hero. He had previously said in a recent promo that he's "not the king yet" - and in Justice League, he's apparently not even close to that. The actor revealed that Aquaman won't be fully formed as the ruler that he's destined to be until the conclusion of his 2018 starring vehicle, which actor Ludi Lin described as "Star Wars underwater". Here's how Momoa explained Curry's progression:

"Aquaman, he's not even really Aquaman yet. He's not the King of the Seven Seas. We don't really get there until my solo movie, at the end. Really, it's a huge growth for me. It's a gigantic arc for Arthur Curry. It may be tough for a lot of fans to watch what they're gonna see, how I portray him. But you gotta wait until we get to the solo movie to really know. Because he's not King yet."

Momoa also hinted that the character of Curry will display lots of uncertainty throughout Justice League, and that his origins won't be deeply explored until Aquaman. He believes it could be a challenge for fans of the superhero to see a wise-cracking half-man, half-Atlantean who may not be particularly interested in accepting his true destiny.

"That's kind of tough to play. We gotta figure out the origin, where we're going. Some people will be like, 'This isn't my Aquaman.' But we're not there yet."

Fisher said in a recent interview that Cyborg and Aquaman will share a common bond over their struggles with living "half in one world, half in another." Promos for Justice League have shown an Aquaman who delivers a lot of one-liners and treats his battles almost like sport, but they haven't revealed much of Arthur Curry's personal struggles. Momoa's portrayal will likely be different from what a lot of fans may be expecting or hoping for, but Warner Bros. is obviously confident that it will pay off.

It's clear from the previews that Justice League's version of Arthur Curry will be a big part of the film's tonal shift. Ben Affleck hinted at "needling" and "playful banter" from the character and the rest of the team in a recent interview. Fans will have to be patient and wait until 2018's Aquaman if they want to see Curry take his role as King of Atlantis seriously. It remains to be seen how easily they will heed Momoa's warnings.