Jason Momoa had played Arthur Curry, better known as Aquaman, in two entries in the DC Extended Universe before getting his own solo movie, aptly titled Aquaman, directed by James Wan. In Batman v Superman and Justice League, With his tattoos and butt-kicking skills, Momoa successfully shed Aquaman’s image as a laughingstock. But he still wasn’t a very rounded character.
Wan’s movie made Aquaman one of the DCEU’s most reliably popular characters, alongside Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Zachary Levi’s Shazam, and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. So, here are 10 ways that James Wan’s Aquaman solo movie saved Jason Momoa’s DCEU incarnation of the character.
Giving Him Some Actual Characterization
Aquaman’s brief cameo appearance in Batman v Superman and clunky, inconsistent role in the heavily tampered-with Justice League didn’t give him much characterization beyond being a bad mother with a trident.
In James Wan’s solo movie, Arthur Curry was fleshed out into an actual character. Viewers learned about his relationship with his parents, his relationship with his kingdom, and his strengths and weaknesses.
Putting Him In The Ocean
It sounds silly to say that James Wan’s Aquaman movie saved the character by putting him in the ocean, but he was confined to dry land in Justice League. The final battle took place on a barren wasteland.
Aquaman could use his superhuman strength and spear-throwing abilities to partake in the battle, but he didn’t really come off as an oceanic Atlantean warrior when he was nowhere near a drop of water.
No Awkwardness
When Joss Whedon took over Justice League after a personal tragedy forced Zack Snyder to step down, the Buffy creator added an awkward scene in which Aquaman sits on Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth and makes sexually inappropriate remarks about her.
It was a cheap gag, and also made Aquaman less likable, especially since his solo movie later introduced the notion that he was in love with someone else. James Wan’s movie didn’t have any awkwardness like that.
Filling In His Origin Story
Whereas the DCEU could have skipped over the origin stories of Superman or Batman because they’re pretty widely known, the average moviegoer is unfamiliar with Aquaman’s beginnings.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe treated viewers to the origin stories of Earth’s mightiest heroes throughout Phase 1 before bringing them all together in 2012’s The Avengers, but the DCEU rushed into Justice League before making audiences care about most of its characters.
Showing Off His Powers
A superhero is only as good as their powers. Before his solo movie, Aquaman didn’t get a chance to show off his superpowers in the DCEU.
Flashbacks to Arthur Curry’s training and present-day action set pieces alike showed off the character’s strength, speed, reflexes, durability, water manipulation, combat skills, and telepathic control of marine life.
Giving Him Some Flaws
Every great character needs some flaws. In Justice League (and even in his short appearance in Batman v Superman), Aquaman was basically invincible. He’d destroy an entire building and emerge from it unscathed, spouting a cool one-liner.
James Wan’s solo movie actually gave the character some flaws and shortcomings, from his limitations as a king to the moral gray area where his argument against Orm’s environmentalist quest resides.
Striking A Unique Tone
Ever since Zack Snyder established the DC Extended Universe with the triple whammy of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League (albeit stepping down from the latter in the middle of production), the franchise has more or less followed the house style he set: gloomy, gritty, highly saturated, rammed with slow-motion, etc.
But James Wan’s Aquaman struck a unique tone for its titular character. There’s plenty of seriousness in the movie, with families being torn apart and characters dying, but there’s also a lot of silliness, with one-liners, sight gags and self-referential humor.
Making Audiences Care About Him
The DCEU’s Aquaman has always been likable. That was just a by-product of casting Jason Momoa in the role; it’s impossible not to like that guy. But Aquaman’s standalone debut really made audiences care about him.
In his solo outing, Aquaman was vulnerable, passionate and considerate. He had to accept his own shortcomings, which made him a hero audiences could really root for.
Giving Him Real Obstacles To Overcome
Since Justice League’s reshoots shunned Aquaman, Cyborg, and the Flash, and focused the movie on Wonder Woman and Batman, the DCEU’s most popular characters, Arthur Curry just sort of went along for the ride. In Aquaman, he actually had to overcome obstacles, like when he faced the Karathen and had to prove his worth as a leader.
Building Up The World Around Him
Prior to Aquaman, James Wan had never made a movie with the expansive blockbuster world-building of something like Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings. However, based on the world-building in Aquaman, it came naturally to him.
Aquaman established a huge undersea world that moviegoers can’t wait to explore in future sequels. From armies of crustaceans to octopuses playing the drums, Aquaman built up the world around Arthur Curry more masterfully than any previous DCEU installment.