WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Justice League, in theaters now.

While Justice League has been met with polarizing views from critics and fans, one of the things most everyone seems to agree on is how entertaining Aquaman is throughout the film. Jason Momoa brought a new life to Arthur Curry, with so much roguish charm and swagger, it’s hard not to smile whenever he’s on screen. Yes, DC’s big team-up movie had many problems, but Aquaman wasn’t one of them. His powers were showcased quite well, and even though our introduction to Atlantis was brief, it showed us just enough to get incredibly excited about the Aquaman solo film. We finally got to see what Atlantean soldiers look like on the big screen as well as how the underwater sequences will look like once James Wan’s film crashes into theaters. We even saw the beginnings of the relationship between Arthur and Mera, however bitter things may seem to be between them.

Meeting Mera

Amber Heard Mera

And that’s one of the key things that we’re most excited about for Aquaman: Seeing Mera in all of her glory. Because while Amber Heard’s cameo in Justice League teased her water-based telekinesis, she was only featured in one scene. Her armor and abilities did look spectacular however, and she needs to be at the forefront of the Aquaman film as much as Arthur Curry. Though it’s Aquaman’s journey that we’ll be following, he's going to need someone that supports him, and to occasionally save him from himself. To see his and Mera's relationship grow will be an interesting arc, because Arthur is such an outsider and the two of them will have a tough challenge to create peace between the Atlanteans and the rest of the world.

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Take Cues from DC's Rebirth

Aquaman has been mostly been the point of ridicule in the wider public eye for the past few decades, perhaps culminating as a massive running joke on HBO's Entourage. It’s time to revitalize his reputation, as Jason Momoa’s version of the hero changes the common perception of the guy that can talk to fish. A lot of those themes have most recently been played out during DC's current Rebirth era. Writer Dan Abnett's version of Arthur strives for peace in a world of politics, legislations and strife between Atlantis and the rest of the globe. Seeing Arthur try and negotiate with various security agencies and politicians would be a great way of giving Aquaman, well, a fish out of water arc. Because Momoa isn’t your stereotypical king, bringing him into a diplomatic situation has the potential to be a genuinely captivating part of the story.

The Struggle To Become King

Of course, making Arthur king wouldn’t be entertaining if it wasn’t difficult for him to earn his role. We need to see him truly struggle with balancing his priorities and changing his attitudes regarding authority. When we saw him in Justice League, he was very much a rogue loner. In his solo film, he has to go from saving people and being paid in whisky to running and protecting an entire nation. It’s likely that he’s going to come up against some opposition from other Atlanteans because he’s half-human, which in turn should lead to some violent confrontations. We’ve already seen set photos of Mera and Arthur being chased by Atlantean soldiers. Becoming a fugitive king could be the perfect way of forcing Aquaman to fight for his rightful role in Atlantis. After all, if it was easy, it wouldn’t be entertaining.

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The Movie Has Got To Be Both Believable and Epic

The film’s been described as a swashbuckling adventure, and it really needs to deliver on that, but with its own unique twist. Many criticisms for Justice League were that it was full of generic, CGI-fueled action. Obviously, many of Aquaman's underwater sequences will be done with computers, s when the action takes place on land, it would be a perfect opportunity to use practical effects the for fighting. If it truly is to be a swashbuckling adventure, having the actors or stuntmen fight on a full set instead of green screen will automatically look a lot more impressive. Because Aquaman used to be a joke, his film needs to be an engaging, entertaining adventure rather than a CGI demo reel. When the film does utilize CGI, and it will, it absolutely has to be visually enthralling. Jason Momoa seems to understand this, recently compareingthe film to Star Wars.

“There’s a big battle, and there’s an epic [fight]. It’s also a big road movie, because we travel all over the world," the star said. "It’s got that Star Wars quality of gigantic ships and guys riding sharks. It’s going to be this whole world you’ve never seen before.”

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If you promise a huge battle, you'd better deliver on it. Make sure that it captures the excitement of Aquaman in the moment. Even if his circumstances have changed, he’s still the same Arthur Curry at heart. He was very clearly having fun fighting Parademons and being thrown through the sky by Cyborg. That hero is the one we want to see enjoying his time in a giant underwater fight.

Black Manta Has To Be A Villain We Understand

While Aquaman’s main problem will be his brother Orm, Black Manta needs to be a compelling villain on his own, one that the audience can understand. We don’t yet have a villain in the DC Universe that really grabs everyone the moment they’re on screen, so give us the heartbreaking reason why Black Manta hates Arthur: Aquaman caused the death of his father. Show the audience Black Manta breaking down when his father dies, and set him on a revenge arc that we can actually sympathize with, even if we’re ultimately rooting for Arthur.

Aquaman is the next movie in the DC Universe, but we still have a year to go with a December 2018 release. That’s plenty of time for the post production, including reshoots, to ensure the film has a big heart as well as a wildly entertaining adventure. We’ve all waited long enough for Arthur Curry to get his own solo film, let’s just hope it’s worth the anticipation.


Now in theaters, Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Raymond Fisher as Cyborg, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, Amber Heard as Mera and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.