DC's live-action film franchise has already had a fascinating run, full of peaks and valleys. It all started with the vision of Zack Snyder, as Man of Steel jumpstarted the shared universe, followed up by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Snyder had to depart Justice League following a family tragedy, and now the director/producer has seemingly stepped away from the shared universe altogether. But it turns out he does have an upcoming DC movie role, as Snyder is actually being credited as a producer on James Wan's upcoming underwater adventure Aquaman.
This latest news comes to us from Aquaman's official website, which only recently listed its credits and rating-- which is a PG-13 in case you're wondering. Zack Snyder is listed as an executive producer on the project, and should be included in future posters and marketing materials. He's credited alongside his wife Deborah Snyder, former DC head Geoff Johns, and Jon Berg and Walter Hamada. It's unclear how much of a say Snyder had in Aquaman, but it's clear that James Wan's upcoming flick was made with some in-house DC love.
While Zack Snyder is going to be decidedly less involved in the DC Universe moving forward, it's interesting that he's still going to be an EP on Aquaman. Snyder's involvement isn't something that has followed the upcoming blockbuster ahead of its release, but it shows that director James Wan is indeed playing within the greater shared universe. While the movie isn't going to contain crossovers and other members of the Justice League, the Conjuring director still collaborated with DC figureheads on Arthur Curry's first live-action movie.
Zack Snyder's involvement in Aquaman does make a great deal of sense, considering the title character was given his official entrance into the DCEU with Justice League. After rejecting Bruce Wayne's offer to join The League, Arthur Curry briefly returns home to Atlanta. So Snyder was tasked with crafting that setting, which will be greatly expanded when Aquaman arrives in December. Working alongside Snyder allowed Wan to build on what was already established, while also making exciting changes to Atlanta.
One of the ways James Wan changed Atlanta was by allowing its denizens to speak freely underwater. When Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Amber Heard's Mera had their Justice League short scene, the latter cleared the room of water so they could speak. Wan ditched this concept, allowing his characters to speak underwater, and not overthinking the physics and biology of it all. James Wan has always been a visionary director, and his first foray into the superhero genre should be no different. And hopefully that includes some elements of horror as well.
Aquaman will arrive in theaters on December 21, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
