SPOILER ALERT: The following article contains a mild spoiler for Aquaman. If you don't wish to know about any specific Easter Eggs in the movie... I don't know why you clicked on this article.
Hiding Easter Eggs in comic book movies is a long-held tradition. After all, not only are they fun to discover, but these films often serve in reverence to decades of work from many different creatives, and small little nods and hints can be a way of showing respect. James Wan's upcoming Aquaman movie will be no different, as he revealed earlier this summer that the blockbuster will have a small cameo for Topo, the titular hero's sentient octopus pal, specifically in battle scene where he's providing percussion for a packed audience in a stadium:
That's for the hardcore fans out there, because in the comic book Topo would play all kinds of instruments. Literally, one tentacle would be playing the harp, and then another one would be playing the violin, and the other tentacle would be playing the piano. This is my take on that. He's playing the big Japanese drums in a tribalistic kind of way. I joke that the octo-drummer should hook up with the guitar flame guy from Mad Max: Fury Road.
James Wan gave us a behind the scenes look at Aquaman a few weeks ago when he invited a small group of journalists including myself to visit the edit bay for the new blockbuster. During an hour-long sit down, we not only had a long conversation about the movie, but also watched select sequences, including one where Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and his half-brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), do battle gladiator-style. Keeping the fans in the crowd excited is an octopus skillfully playing the drums, and it was after playing the clip that the director confirmed that the multi-armed mollusk is specifically Topo.
The character was first introduced in Adventure Comics #229, created by artist Ramona Fradon, and has gone through many changes over the years. Initially he was simply a smart octopus, but after the major crossover event Crisis On Infinite Earths altered DC Comics continuity he became a more anthropomorphized character and more developed sidekick to Aquaman. He was reinvented a second time in 2011 when the continuity was rebooted following the Flashpoint event, starting what's known as the New 52 era. And while the new Aquaman movie borrows a lot from that particular period of the comics -- where Geoff Johns was the primary writer -- it won't have that particular take on Topo, who was remade as a monster octopus/crab creature.
Fans will be able to get their own look at Topo in just a few short months, with Aquaman arriving in theaters nationwide on December 21st. Be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for a lot more of our coverage, including more from our edit bay visit with James Wan.
