Jason Momoa’s ‘Aquaman 2’ Pitches To Warner Bros. Show Actor’s Enthusiasm For The Character
While the first Aquaman standalone film won’t hit theaters until December, Jason Momoa can hardly contain his enthusiasm for the proposed sequel.
According to MovieWeb, Momoa spoke in a recent interview about the future of the Aquaman franchise, where he discussed his proposed ideas for the franchise’s second film and how Warner Bros. was interested in his opinions.
“I definitely have an opinion,” Momoa said. “Even when we were shooting Aquaman, I had the opening of Aquaman 2 ready. I went in and pitched it to [producer Scott] Safran, and I pitched it to [Warner Bros. Chairman] Toby Emmerich. They loved it. It’s awesome… But yeah, I have plans for Aquaman 2.”
The D.C. Extended Universe (DCEU) is currently at a crossroads, after the disappointing performances of Superman, Batman vs. Superman, and Justice League. It was recently reported that the Flash movie has experienced yet another delay, and the studio is also apparently losing the faces of both Batman and Superman, as Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill are reportedly leaving their roles. However, Momoa received strong critical acclaim and fan approval in his supporting role as Aquaman, while Gal Gadot was a key part of the roaring success of the standalone Wonder Woman film. Momoa hopes that his natural charisma and acting chops allows him to help the Aquaman film follow in Wonder Woman’s footsteps and work to buoy the DCEU until it can right the ship. The Wonder Woman sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, is due out next year, and Momoa hopes an Aquaman sequel will follow.
The Aquaman film faces an uphill battle for box office success, as its December 21 release date puts it in competition with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Bumblebee,Mary Poppins Returns, and the toned-down Deadpool 2 re-release. The film promises to be unlike the DC films that have come before it, and perhaps unique among the cinematic superhero anthology, according to Games Radar.
Taking place largely in an underwater kingdom and packed full of aquatic creatures, the film plays like an adventure fantasy rather than the commonplace superhero origin story. Momoa and renowned horror director James Wan should give the film a dark edge, and have fought to make the Arthur Curry/Aquaman character cooler.
The Momoa portrayal of Aquaman continues the arc of the character toward a darker, edgier persona compared to his comic book origins. Aquaman originally started as a backup feature and grew into its own series. His portrayal in the 1960s animated series Super Friends made him seem wholesome, with relatively weak superpowers and abilities compared to other members of the Justice League. More modern iterations of the characters have made him dark and brooding, carrying the guilt and weight of his status as a fallen hero.
