One of the scenes in Zack Snyder’s Justice League makes a big mistake in regards to who Aquaman is as a character. The Snyder Cut included some fun moments for Jason Momoa’s hero, but there was one particular shot that stood out in a negative way, and that was when Arthur Curry dropped the whiskey bottle in the ocean.
Aquaman’s story in Justice League, which took place ahead of his solo film, began with him being opposed to Batman’s plan for putting together a team of superheroes. Due to his loner mentality, Aquaman chose to go his own path, and for a while Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) had to carry on without his assistance. However, an encounter with Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) in the ocean proved to be a turning point for him. The villain defeated Aquaman and made off with one of the three Mother Boxes. As a result, Arthur had to put aside his reservations about working with others and form an alliance with Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher).
Prior to Aquaman joining up with the team, the character was featured in a sequence on a dock with the ocean waves crashing dramatically against a pier. Before disappearing with the tide, Aquaman was seen drinking a bottle of whiskey, and then smashing it onto the dock. As a result, the shards fell into the ocean. He was wearing a shirt during the scene, but it was gone in the next, which means that it was left floating in the water somewhere. The issue with this is that Aquaman’s actions here are no different to littering. While it’s certainly a minor detail that can easily be overlooked, it still goes against his values.
In the comic books, the cartoons, and even Smallville, Aquaman is depicted as a hero who cares deeply about the world’s oceans. It’s a big part of who he is and what he stands for, so littering in any form is not something he would ever do. He’s always been strongly opposed to humans needlessly polluting the waters and causing harm to the creatures that inhabit the oceans. Aquaman would never contribute to such a major problem, even in a way that may seem insignificant on the surface.
Despite this, Aquaman dropping the bottle managed to make it into both the theatrical version and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It makes for a cool moment, but there’s no denying that this action is out of character and contrary to what the comic book version of Aquaman believes. While it’s true that at this point in his life, Aquaman has yet to fully grow into the hero from DC Comics, he’s clearly spent enough time in the water to gain a proper understanding and appreciation of the ocean’s wildlife and environment.
