The following isn't a spoiler for Aquaman. It has nothing to do with the actual story of Aquaman. But it prompts me to describe a scene in James Wan's Aquaman, so if you don't want to know anything, bail out now!
Still here? Good. It seems like some people in the Conjuring universe, in an effort to rid the world of the horror that is Annabelle, came up with a solution to the creepy doll. They sunk her to the bottom of the ocean.
Annabelle can be spotted in the new James Wan movie, Aquaman. It's very brief, but she makes a cameo on the ocean floor, in a scene where Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and Mera (Amber Heard) are entering her ship, about to embark on a mission. It happens relatively early in the film -- not during the heroic third act. It's subtle, and it's coy, but she's there. When CinemaBlend asked James Wan about her appearance at the recent NY press day for Aquaman, he played it equally coy, telling us:
I don't know what you are referring to. [laughs] I have no idea what Easter Egg you are referencing here, if it's an Easter egg. ... Maybe Patrick Wilson is really Ed Warren pretending to be King Orm? What can I say? I'd like to see that film, how about that?
James Wan would know all about Annabelle. He's the mad genius who introduced horror audiences to the Raggedy Ann doll in the opening scene of his fantastic The Conjuring, and Annabelle continues to live in the trophy room of Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Relive that terror here:
Coincidentally, I ran the Annabelle cameo past Aquaman co-star Patrick Wilson, seeing as how he played Ed Warren in the Conjuring films for James Wan. He didn't know she was there, and he wasn't surprised that Wan would work her in, but he laughed beautifully at the idea that the DCEU and Conjuring universes share space.
So no, don't look for the Warrens to head underwater to investigate Atlantis any time soon. But you can look for Annabelle on the ocean floor when you go see Aquaman later this month.
It's riveting watching James Wan switch gears from his traditional horror roots to a sweeping, epic superhero blockbuster like Aquaman. Though the character (played by Jason Momoa) made his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and fought alongside the Justice League in their team up movie, this new film finally gives Arthur Curry the chance to carry his own adventure and expand on his legacy.
Aquaman rolls into theaters on December 21. It's an exciting new step for the DCEU, which plans to expand next year with Shazam! and, in 2020, with Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman 1984. Are you excited for all that is to come?
