Aquaman Proves the DCEU is Ready to Move Past the Zack Snyder Era

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for director James Wan's Aquaman, in theaters now.

It's no secret that the DC Extended Universe has faced its fair share of problems since Zack Snyder's Man of Steel in 2014. That's why, to this day, we're not sure if characters like The Flash and Cyborg will get solo movies, despite being announced over three years ago, and why the futures of Ben Affleck's Batman and Henry Cavill's Superman are up in the air.

Warner Bros.' DC filmverse is always in a state of flux, with talks of reboots and Elseworlds stories also popping up frequently. However, with James Wan's Aquaman, there's an air of optimism abound because the solo adventures of Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry certainly show the studio has learned from the mistakes of old.

THE ESSENCE OF A TRUE SUPERHERO

Snyder's movies, like Man of Steel, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and even parts of Justice League, lacked the inspirational superhero feel that Marvel Studios perfected. It's mostly been dark, bleak stories, although Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman rectified that somewhat.

The course correction comes full circle with Aquaman, as this essence carries throughout the entire movie. Basically, Wan perfects the vibe director Patty Jenkins started with her take on Diana of Themyscira with Aquaman smiling, laughing and making jokes, even in the heat of battle. Momoa encapsulates true heroism, so much so that he quickly regrets leaving Black Manta's father to die for his war crimes, expressing remorse for it and vowing to not do it again -- ergo why he spares his brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson). This arc of redemption isn't spread over two or three movies, as Arthur strives to be something more than a king.

THE VILLAINS RESONATE DEEPLY

Apart from Michael Shannon's Zod wanting to recreate Krypton on Earth, the DCEU villains haven't really been impressive in terms of their motives and how they stack up against the heroes we've seen so far. There's been no real emotional connection or depth to the villains, such as Wonder Woman's Ares, Justice League's Steppenwolf and even Lex Luthor from Batman v Superman. They simply come off as villains in a typical popcorn flick who want to bring about the apocalypse in some predictable, bland scheme.

Aquaman bucks this trend, though, by making its villains sympathetic; folks you might even root for on a different day. Arthur leaving Black Manta's father to die really set him on his warpath against Atlantis, as he begged the Atlantean for forgiveness and mercy, only to be shown none. Then there's Orm, who rightfully chides the surface world for its pollution and war-hungry ways. He believes it's the ocean's job to purge and cleanse up top, while allowing him to protect his own people. This substance over style approach makes these villains' vendettas something we can empathize with.

NEXT PAGE: Aquaman May be the Most Impressive DCEU Film to Date

THE EPIC FIGHT SEQUENCES

Old DCEU movies didn't have fight scenes that'd leave your jaw on the ground. In Suicide Squad, it was all about guns taking out an army of the dead, while Wonder Woman, as good as it was, lacked any intense action. Apart from Batman cutting loose in the warehouse in Justice League, we've never even seen awesome combat sequences a la Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Avengers: Infinity War.

Aquaman rectifies this, as not a single brawl feels cookie-cutter. Whether it's Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) using her trident to take down Atlantean soldiers, Black Manta and company chasing Mera (Amber Heard) and Aquaman through Sicily, or Aquaman taking on Orm in the Ring of Fire, Wan makes every fight a stunning one. The choreography's brilliant, and each battle, whether on land or sea, feels fluid, sharp and impactful. There's a sense of urgency in each moment in these mini-wars, leaving you thinking anyone can die at anytime (well, except Aquaman).

THE VISUAL AESTHETIC

In movies like Suicide Squad, the scenes with Enchantress and Incubus trying to turn Earth into a hellish realm were a joke. Despite making Themyscira pop, Wonder Woman's Ares also felt underwhelming, and this carried through to Justice League's poor rendering of Steppenwolf and his big plan to repurpose the planet. Of course, the less said about Cavill's #MustacheGate, the better.

Wan, however, really lives up to what Murk actor Ludi Lin said months ago, truly creating an underwater universe reminiscent of Star Wars. All Seven Kingdoms have strong presences, and you can feel the majesty of the MCU's Thor in Atlantis, or the horror of Mordor in the Trench. The VFX for the creatures (the Karathen, the Brine, the Fisherman, the sharks and sea horses) and the various undersea ships, as well as the CGI on land as Aquaman faces Manta's army, are all spectacular, leaving you immersed in a cinematic experience, not unlike Avatar.

A FINALE DONE RIGHT

This has been one of the DCEU's weakest points. The Suicide Squad taking on their demonic opposition was a dud, Wonder Woman versus Ares was a CGI snoozefest and the League's finale against Steppenwolf lacked any sort of cohesive storytelling. The Batman and Superman ending was all over the place too (courtesy of the "Martha" line and Lex's convoluted plan), and Man of Steel was derailed by Superman snapping Zod's neck.

But all this changes in Wan's film. Aquaman has a monumental battle with monsters under the ocean and warring kingdoms, and it quickly turns into a one-on-one against Orm. However, this doesn't just end up as a fight. There's gravitas to it, as both men come from a place of principle, not anger, voicing why they're vying for the throne like this. We're invested in everyone, from the hero to the villain to the supporting cast at this point, and this creates an emotional payoff for the audience as opposed to simply leaving the theaters talking about who hit harder in a slugfest. It's similar to the Black Panther ending where you're rooting for both T'Challa and Killmonger, because both Orm and Aquaman have their own vision for safeguarding the future.

Directed by James Wan, Aquaman stars Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus and Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna. The film is in theaters now.