Late Thursday evening Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder revealed the first image of Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. It’s had a mixed reaction from fans, with some liking the badass look and others resenting the lack of the traditional orange and green.

Snyder’s long time costume designer Michael Wilkinson – who worked with him on Watchmen, Sucker Punch and Man of Steel – has been speaking to TooFab about Aquaman’s design:

“Zack Snyder has a brilliant vision for making this character powerful and relevant…I enjoyed designing a costume that reflects this vision and honors the character’s rich legacy…It has been a thrill and an honour to bring this iconic character to life for a modern audience.”

Wilkinson’s “modern audience” comment might help to explain why Aquaman and his other Justice League character designs have a lack of colour instead going for a more gritty, realistic feel.

Momoa’s Aquaman is due to make a fleeting appearance in BvS in 2016 before he takes centre stage in the first Justice League movie in 2017 and a solo outing in 2018.

Gavin Logan – Follow me on Twitter