Aquaman is a 2018 action film about a young man who learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world.
After much adieu, we were finally granted a viewing of the Aquaman trailer that recently premiered at Comic Con. It’s safe to say that there is a LOT riding on Aquaman for the DC Universe. With not a lot going right for DC as of late asides from Wonder Woman, it’s crucial that director James Wan produce a hit with the character that was one of the few bright spots in Justice League. The trailer promises plenty of action, both underwater and on land, but will the world of Atlantis be too ridiculous for the audience to bear? Only time will tell. Here are a few takeaways:
- Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is the child of a lighthouse keeper and the queen of Atlantis, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman)
- Aquaman’s brother, King Orm (Patrick Wilson), is about to declare war on the surface world
- To stop Orm, Aquaman must take his rightful place on the throne of Atlantis, as advised by fellow Atlantisian and future love interest, Hera (Amber Heard)
- Aquaman eventually returns to Atlantis to challenge his brother and save his home and those he loves
- There is going to be a crazy underwater war for Atlantis that involves all kinds of giant sea creatures
What Atlantis strikes me as is the Asgaard of the sea. I’m sure the last thing Wan or producers want is a comparison to Marvel, but that’s just what comes to mind. While on the subject of Thor, the reason the first two movies struggled is because they took themselves too seriously. Once Taika Waititi took the reigns of the Thor spinoffs with Ragnarok and really upped the comedy factor, we were left with one of the best Marvel movies to date. I think it’s fair to say that Thor and Aquaman are comparable characters to their respective universe. They are both godlike, wield a massive weapon, and come from a different world. Hopefully Wan follows Waititi’s strategy for success and peppers in plenty of humor throughout Aquaman. After all, if there’s anything we’ve learned from the new DC movies, going the serious route has not been a successful strategy (obviously this doesn’t include any of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, those movies are art).