In just one week, Justice League will finally be in theaters, and during the movie, fans will formally be introduced to Aquaman, who cameoed last year in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. But he isn't your daddy's Aquaman. You won't find blonde hair, orange tops or giant seahorses anywhere around this Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa. It's clearly a different take on the iconic DC hero, and the casting Momoa was an inspired choice. According to producer Deborah Snyder, they cast Momoa as the King of the Sea after watching him on Game of Thrones, knowing right away he would be perfect for what they had in mind. Snyder said:
We're big Game of Thrones fans. I remember Jason Momoa [as Dothraki chieftain Khal Drogo]. Zack was like, 'Jason would be the perfect Aquaman.' I was like, 'It's so out of the box. But yeah!' He can be tough. And he feels like he comes from the water.
Zack Snyder and his producing partner/wife, Deborah Snyder, are big fans of Game of Thrones (who isn't?). Deborah Snyder told the LA Times that when it came time to find an Aquaman for the DC Extended Universe they were building for Warner Bros, Zack Snyder brought up the idea of Jason Momoa, who up until that point was best known as the Dothraki chieftain Khal Drogo, a ruthless and powerful warrior. The Snyders liked both the idea of Momoa playing their Aquaman, and that he had an aquatic vibe to him, as if he rose from the ocean like it was no big deal.
The casting of Jason Momoa as Aquaman definitely let people know what kind of Aquaman we were all in for. The character has a bit of a bad reputation for being a silly, campy character with mainstream audiences. Momoa's commanding presence really helps to flip that perspective around. Based on what we've seen from trailers, Justice League's Aquaman is a rough around the edges lone wolf (with a bit of a frat boy-ish vibe), and Momoa fits that bill quite nicely.
Aquaman will formally make his debut in Justice League, where he is recruited by Batman (Ben Affleck) to join a team of metahumans to stop the villainous Steppenwolf from invading Earth. Early buzz on the movie is mixed right now, but a lot of people have been praising the characters. That's a good thing because after his big superhero team-up, Aquaman is off to his own solo film. Directed by James Wan, Aquaman will further explore the title character's world and his relationship to the kingdom of Atlantis.
Fans will get to see Aquaman kill any Parademons in Justice League, which debuts in theaters on November 17. That's pretty soon so pre-order your ticket while you can. To learn more about the movie, check out our comprehensive guide.
