To the surprise of many, Aquaman (2018) wowed audiences everywhere, going on to be one of DC and Warner Brothers highest-grossing superhero films. The film captured a great sense of charm with a nice balance of plot and action that many fans greatly appreciated. Considering the film’s great success, a sequel is obviously in the works.

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At the moment, the Aquaman film franchise has a direct sequel on the way, along with a supposed spin-off. Considering the first film was a close adaptation of the popular Throne of Atlantis storyline, fans have since begun to wonder which direction the sequel will head. With many great options to choose from, there are several ways that the potential sequels could develop. To look at some of Aquaman’s bigger storylines over the years, here is our list of 10 stories that would make his sequel truly epic.

10 Drowned Earth

The recent DC event would easily make for a great sequel. For starters, the story itself revolves heavily around Atlantean lore and magic, setting world-ending stakes should Aquaman and the Justice League fail. Furthermore, the series also has an incredibly wide cast, set up by the likes of the Suicide Squad and featuring many other members of the Justice League.

With such a wide cast, the filmmakers could easily make the film like Captain America: Civil War (2016), where many other members are involved, yet Aquaman remains the central focus of the story. Aside from being a major DC event, Drowned Earth would also be a great way to showcase Aquaman’s influence on the larger DC Universe, making this story ideal for adaptation at least somewhere down the line.

9 Thicker Than Water

Aside from the cosmetic changes to the character, Thicker Than Water actually did a lot to strengthen Aquaman as a character. The miniseries also focuses a lot on Ocean Master as the antagonist. In this story, he returns as an incredibly powerful sorcerer. Ocean Master's combat skill combined with the power of Atlantean magic made him all the more formidable an opponent.

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Though the films have already utilized Orm as an antagonist, he is left alive at the end of the first movie, leaving the door open for a return at any given moment. Should the sequel decide to use Orm once again, elements from Thicker Than Water would be a great way to spin his character, making him even more dangerous than he was in the first film.

8 The Trench

Audiences already got a glimpse of the Trench in the first Aquaman film. At the moment, a spin-off known as The Trench is supposedly in the works as well. Originally, the story served as Aquaman's first arc in the New 52 relaunch. The arc focuses mostly on Aquaman as he begins to uncover mysteries within the Trench and discover all kinds of new monsters.

At the moment, the movie is supposedly a horror spin-off and is expected to feature elements of the DCEU’s Atlantis, but perhaps very little of Aquaman himself. However, exploring more of the Trench would truly be a great way to bring some darker, horror elements into Aquaman’s story, helping to distance him from the goofy, laughable depictions of his past. If all goes well, this is very likely to be the route the movies will take, hopefully though, there will be a bit more of Arthur in them.

7 Time And Tide

Time and Tide, for a long time, provided Arthur Curry's definitive origin. Written by Peter David, the story takes a close look at some of the earlier elements of Aquaman's past, explaining a lot about the character’s appearance, motivations, and public debut. Though his origin is already covered in the first Aquaman film, there are still many elements and aspects that could be expanded on.

Furthermore, with an emphasis on his New 52 origin, incorporating elements from Time and Tide could also be a great way to acknowledge a more classic interpretation of the character. While there’s no need for another origin story, there are still many elements of Aquaman’s past that are a mystery to audiences, making Time and Tide a valuable contribution to the cinematic version of Aquaman.

6 The Triton Saga

Like with a few other titles on this list, The Triton Saga would be a great way for the filmmakers to incorporate some more elements of Atlantean lore. In the story, Aquaman must go up against Triton after he manages to dethrone Poseidon and shake up the balance of the role of the seven seas.

This arc showcases just how powerful Aquaman can truly be, considering he goes up against literal gods. Adapting this story would also allow for DC and James Wan to introduce lesser-known Aquaman villains into the mix, showing off the hero's impressive Rogues Gallery.

5 Sub Diego

Aquaman and Lorena Marquez surrounded by fish in Sub Diego.

Sub Diego is often regarded as one of the best Aquaman arcs of recent years. After an earthquake sinks most of San Diego, the inhabitants begin to adapt into Atlanteans. With the ability to breathe underwater, the citizens turn to Aquaman for leadership while he tries to uncover the person responsible for the catastrophe.

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In regards to this story's place as a potential film, it would also make for a great way to bring Aquaman into the larger scale DCEU. Sinking such a major city would have Aquaman play a massive role in the U.S. and could easily see him interact with other superheroes. Sub Diego could easily be told within the confines of around two hours, should they make the appropriate changes.

4 To Serve And Protect

Following Sub Diego, To Serve and Protect comes immediately afterward. This arc, once again, features Ocean Master as the villain. More often than not, Orm brings out the best in Aquaman, at least from a storytelling point of view.

The story also introduces readers to a new Aquagirl, a character who could easily be introduced in the movie universe. With Ocean Master’s return and an expansive cast, the Aquaman sequel would have a great basis to build upon, even without the aspects from Sub Diego.

3 The Others

The Others is the second volume of Aquaman released during DC’s New 52 relaunch. This arc has a heavy focus on Black Manta, as the newer version of the villain starts making much more serious plays against Aquaman. With Black Manta’s strong presence in the first film and his set up for the second, The Others would make a great story to adapt for the big screen.

Furthermore, The Others also introduces a wide supporting cast for Aquaman, with the central team receiving their own comic book spin-off series. While they weren’t the most interesting of characters, some of them would fit just fine within the DCEU. Likewise, the characters could be swapped out for bigger names like Dolphin, Tula, Garth, or Kaldur, if need be. Overall, The Others has plenty of elements that could easily be adapted for the sequel, should this be the route they decide to go on.

2 The Drowning/Black Manta Rising

Aquaman is threatened by Black Manta in the storyline "The Drowning."

Recently, author Dan Abnett left the Aquaman title behind following a successful relaunch of the title as part of DC Rebirth. In the earlier stories, Abnett focused on Aquaman trying to bring Atlantis to the world stage. Of course, though, there are troubles to be had as not all Atlanteans want to be exposed, as well as terrorists trying their best to sabotage the world’s view of Atlantis and Aquaman.

With Aquaman now king in the movies, this would be a great and potentially important story to adapt. The universe could certainly benefit from Atlantis being pushed more into the spotlight. However, the first two arcs in Abnett’s run also heavily focus on Black Manta, making the two stories ideal for the cinematic version of the villain.

1 Underworld

In one of Dan Abnett’s biggest Aquaman stories, Underworld launches one of the most important stories in the superhero's modern history. After Corum Rath manages to seize the Atlantean Throne, Arthur finds himself trapped in Atlantis questioning if he even wants the throne back. Eventually, though, Rath begins to gather Atlantis’ power and resources in an attempt to launch an attack against the surface world, forcing Arthur out of hiding once again.

The story is massive but succeeds in juggling a large cast and various themes. It also showcases several awesome Mera moments, which would give Amber Heard the opportunity to outshine her co-stars. Of course, Rath is also a lesser-known villain, making him the perfect character to introduce in the future.

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