The next installment in the DCEU is bound to make a big splash at the box office. Ocean pun intended. In December of 2018, the AQUAMAN solo movie will hit theaters and fans can hardly wait. While JUSTICE LEAGUE received mixed reviews, many are looking forward to this upcoming aquatic adventure. Directed by James Wan, best known for his work on INSIDIOUS and THE CONJURING.

The plot will follow Aquaman as he ascends the throne and tries to maintain peace between the surface dwellers and Atlanteans. Jason Momoa will reprise his role as Arthur Curry and Aquaman respectively — the reluctant ruler of Atlantis. Fans are crossing their fingers, toes, and fins for one awesome movie. On that note, here are some things we want to see in AQUAMAN.

Make AQUAMAN Great Again

With a great solo film comes plenty of room for character development and world building.

Some fans have underestimated Aquaman in the past. His previous incarnations in animation and television have left him open to ridicule. There are the memes. There are sushi jokes. He’s that guy next to Batman and Superman who can talk to fish, right? Wrong! Aquaman is the king of the Seven Seas.

Not only does he have total command of all aquatic life, but he has super strength and nearly impenetrable skin. And did I mention he wields an awesome trident? As we saw in the JUSTICE LEAGUE, Momoa has completely reinvented the character. He is brutish, charming and has a newfound swagger to him. Nerds and geeks alike are counting on Jason Momoa’s adaptation to breathe new life into the character.

Few fans actually know of the hero’s origin story. How his father was a surface dweller and his mother was an Atlantean. This movie will be a great opportunity to learn more about his life story. At his core, Aquaman is an outcast divided into two completely different worlds. Where do his loyalties lie? How will he balance two halves of himself? We have to see that internal struggle within this character on the big screen.

Not only should there be strong character development, there is a chance to explore the sunken kingdom. As Arthur discovers Atlantis for himself, moviegoers will explore this new undersea world right along with him. We are eager to learn about everything Atlantean. What is the history and mythology of this sunken kingdom? What is Atlantean society like? Fans want to dive in and discover the kingdom of Atlantis.

Meeting Mera, Orm, and Black Manta

Avid readers of the Aquaman comics are also excited to see the film adaptations of some other notable characters featured in the Aquaman canon. Fans have high expectations for the antagonists of this movie. For the main villain, Orm AKA., Ocean Master will be played by Patrick Wilson, Curry’s corrupt half-brother who wants to rule Atlantis for himself. We anticipate a major underwater battle, with fantastic visuals, over who will claim the throne between the two brothers. Well, half-brothers.

With Yahya Abdul-Mateen II cast as Black Manta, we predict a gripping revenge arc. It is important for fans to feel the weight of Black Manta’s childhood trauma and the heartbreaking reason behind his need for vengeance; Aquaman was responsible for his father’s death. With his cunning and strategic personality, I’m looking forward to seeing his role in the storyline of the film. However, with two antagonistic figures in this film, there must be a smart balance between them or one may overshadow the other.

Of course, you can’t have Aquaman without his Queen. Played by Amber Heard, this Queen of Atlantis is as fierce as she is beautiful. We caught a glimpse of her in JUSTICE LEAGUE. Unfortunately, since she was only featured in one scene, it was a brief glimpse. Hopefully, she is front and center in the upcoming movie. Known for being a strong warrior, Mera possesses the ability to control her aquatic environment and communicate with other Atlanteans.

In the new AQUAMAN, fans are eager to see the romantic relationship between Arthur Curry and Mera develop and grow. As he deals with the hardships that come with being king, he will need someone to lean on and someone to fight by his side. And that has always been Mera.

You Can’t Save the World Alone

The solo film will take place after the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE. Which means Aquaman is an official member of the league. That begs the question; will other leaguers make an appearance? A cameo from any league member would be awesome. Even if it was just a 2-minute phone call with Batman or a hilarious after credits scene with the Flash.

Actually, Amazonians and Atlanteans have fought alongside one another in the past. Perhaps Wonder Woman will make a wonderful cameo. Although he considers himself a lone wolf, reinforcing a connection with the Justice League would only expand the DCEU further.

The movie will have a lot to cover, from the backstories to the world building. Regardless, it would be great to have a reference to Aquaman’s sidekick, Aqualad. Although there have been multiple incarnations of Aqualad, Kaldur’ahm is a fan favorite.

Since Blank Manta is one of the main villains, it would be even more fitting for his son to be referenced. Seeing Aquaman being a mentor to a younger protegee, even for one scene, would make moviegoers feel all warm and fuzzy inside. While we are on the subject of young Atlanteans, perhaps Aquagirl should get a mention as well.

Why not? Invite everyone to this pool party.

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, the fans are expecting big waves from AQUAMAN. They want a great story about a hero torn between land and sea. A film that has awesome visuals and special effects, especially during the underwater scenes. They want romance and action and comedy and everything else that’s awesome about superhero movies.

My opinion? So far, it looks like they have an incredible cast of talented actors. From what we have seen in JUSTICE LEAGUE, I’m sure Jason Momoa will do a fantastic job reinventing a previously underrated hero. With James Wan directing, his experience working on horror films may bring an added level of suspense to AQUAMAN. Even though we are all still patiently waiting for a trailer to be released, the fans and I have high hopes for this next installment to the DCEU.

[divider style=”shadow” top=”12″ bottom=”12″]

What do you want to see in the upcoming AQUAMAN? Let us know in the comments. The folks here at ComicsVerse would love to hear what you have to say!