As the weekend approaches, the stage is set for what stands to be one of the greatest cinematic battles to hit the big screen. The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel are gearing up to face off in their first cinematic co-appearance ever, in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. As the second installment of the DC Extended Universe, there’s a lot riding on the success of the film, as the studio makes strides to catch up with Marvel’s MCU.
Part of the long-term plan for the burgeoning universe is the introduction of many of DC’s other heroes. Unlike the MCU, DC opted not to give every hero an origin story movie, choosing instead to introduce characters into the wider universe by having (most of) them appear in BvS. Most notably, Gal Gadot (Furious 6) co-stars as Wonder Woman and Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) will show up as Aquaman: a character who’s unfortunately long served as the butt of several jokes amongst fans of the DC comics universe. Now, just days from the movie’s release, the powers that be are working overtime to assuage any fears fans may harbor regarding the character’s upcoming appearance and inclusion in Batman V Superman and beyond.
Geoff Johns, DC’s chief creative officer, fresh off an acclaimed comic book run of Aquaman, spoke to Comic Book about Momoa’s character and his role in Batman V Superman. He also addressed concerns some fans have about the character and offered assurances that his appearance will be noteworthy.
Aquaman is certainly underestimated by many in the comics community. One doesn’t have to search far to find jokes about the character and his powers, with many derisively proclaiming him to merely be “that guy who talks to fish.” While it’s true that one of Aquaman’s powers is the ability to communicate with marine life, Johns is correct in saying the character has more depth than most may be aware of, or even willing to admit.
“Jason [Momoa] and I were talking about Aquaman and I love that people underestimate the character. I feel like hopefully we’ll be able to share the love that we have as readers of the character because the jokes about him are fun, but he’s got so much depth to him, no pun intended. It’s really great to see him finally on the big screen.”
As the King of Atlantis, Aquaman must balance the needs of his people with the needs of those who live on the surface. These divergent responsibilities often see Aquaman torn between two worlds. On top of that, his ability to communicate with and sometimes control marine life grants him access to some of the most dangerous creatures on the planet, which gives the character an interesting advantage against evil doers (provided they’re near a major body of water, of course). All of this comes with the requisite enhanced strength and durability granted most superheroes.
While Momoa’s depiction of Aquaman differs from the comic books in terms of looks, his addition is important to the larger universe and, if played right, could be one of the better parts of Batman V Superman. Hopefully Johns is right, and the movie does justice to the character, finally giving Aquaman the respect he deserves. It might not stop the jokes completely, but it just might change some minds.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens on March 25th, 2016, followed by Suicide Squad on August 5th, 2016;Wonder Woman on June 23rd, 2017; Justice League Part One on November 17th, 2017; The Flash on March 16th, 2018; Aquaman on July 27th, 2018; Shazam on April 5th, 2019; Justice League Part Two on June 14th, 2019; Cyborgon April 3rd, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps. on June 19th, 2020.
Source: Comic Book
