Following the massive success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC tried to get in on the action be developing a shared universe of its own. The DCEU needed its own cast of superheroes, and Game of Thrones alum Jason Momoa quickly picked up the role of Arthur Curry/Aquaman. After officially debuting in Zack Snyder's Justice League, he'll be granted a solo film directed by horror legend James Wan. Audiences most closely associate Momoa with his Season 1 stint on HBO's Game of Thrones, and apparently that's exactly how he landed his superheroic role. He recently spoke to this, saying:
That whole audition process was pretty crazy. I mean, Zack was a huge fan of Game of Thrones; a lot of people were fans of Game of Thrones. Zack was the one -- I couldn't get a job -- and Zack called me in and was this huge fan, he wanted to take Aquaman who, it was funny because I had no idea who I was gonna be playing. He just called me in. I had an audition and it was for Batman. Obviously, Ben was cast. I was like, 'What am I coming in [for?] I'm just basically gonna be the bad guy. I'm gonna fight Batman and Superman. I'm gonna play the villain.' And he's like, 'Wait, no. Aquaman!' I was like, 'Blonde? Shaven?' But yeah, thank you Game of Thrones.
It looks like Zack Snyder is one of the millions of fans who tunes into HBO to watch how the Great Game is played. Jason Momoa might not have been on that many episodes of Game of Thrones, but he made enough of an impression upon Snyder that he'd ultimately book a multi-film deal with DC Studios.
Jason Momoa's comments from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are particularly interesting, because he actually auditioned for the role of Batman. Momoa certainly has the natural charm and physique to play a seriously badass version of the Dark Knight, but they just couldn't turn down Ben Affleck. And while Momoa didn't think he'd be a natural fit for the normally blonde locked Arthur Curry, his performance was one of the highlights of Justice League.
Ultimately, Jason Momoa was the perfect actor to bring Aquaman to the silver screen. His stature and general badassery brought an otherwise silly character into the modern age. And in just a few months he'll get his own solo movie, as James Wan's Aquaman arrives in about a year.
It should be interesting to see if Jason Momoa happens to pop back up in Game of Thrones' final season. He returned for a dream sequence back in Season 2, so it's not without precedence. The actor also recently visited the show's set, although he's maintained it was jut a social engagement.
You can catch Jason Momoa in Aquaman on December 21, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies this year.
