While DC’s original plan to have Green Lantern be a central beacon for connecting much of their superhero cinematic universe, things changed. Aquaman has ironically snuck up as the most successful DCEU film to date, raking in nearly a billion dollars worldwide. This is ironic for several reasons.
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While DC’s live-action cosmic realm remains somewhat unexplored, with a new plan for the space fairing Green Lanterns with the upcoming HBO Max series, Aquaman’s ocean world may serve as an equivalent, if not superior, plot device for myth and lore. With more than eighty percent of the planet’s oceans unexplored, it functions well as a place to establish links to the greater DC universe, especially for those characters rooted in earth’s ancient past. Let us ponder how Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might live up to its predecessor and help establish a fresh launching pad for more of DC’s exciting mythology.
Star Wars Underwater
Warner Bros.
Beating James Cameron to the mark, Aquaman has now established itself as the benchmark for modern adventure under the sea. While Aquaman wasn’t a perfect film, it delivered well on its premise and leveraged modern cinema technology to accomplish underwater action sequences that would have been impossible in previous eras. While Green Lantern was certainly gearing up to compete with Star Wars, it was Aquaman that better delivered on a comparable scope. It’s unfortunate Green Lantern didn’t get its sequel because it was surely headed toward dynamic outer space action sequences that audiences have never experienced before.
Rumored to be a villain in the upcoming film is Karshon (sometimes just referred to as ‘Shark’), an anthropomorphic predator (by way of radiation poisoning), a character who first appeared in Green Lantern comics. This would not be the first time Aquaman media has borrowed from Green Lantern. In Aquaman Rage of Atlantis, one of the underrated DTV LEGO movies, the story features the red lantern corps leader, Atrocitus, as the main villain. One can ponder if the bomb that went off amidst the Green Lantern movie’s PR failure resulted in a number of developed concepts being handed over to Aquaman.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will likely deliver a massive hit, leaning into proven formulas found in the history of cinema. James Wan is a director who knows movies well. He borrows from the best, and emulates what has worked in the past. The film will likely take cues from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and other seminal classics from his childhood. If his horror movies are any indication, he may not create the most original content we’ve ever seen, but he will surely deliver what has worked in the past to create something memorable and exciting.
Wan is also well known to be very level-headed, approachable, and easy to work with. This fairs well for a studio that may want to mold the film to help support upcoming DC projects. Now that Aquaman has proven it’s the company’s golden goose, there will likely be heavier DC universe Easter eggs planted throughout. If handled carefully, the film could serve as a gateway for audiences to learn more about the expanded DC universe, which holds a treasure trove of untapped cinematic potential.
Is Marvel Over The Hill?
Marvel Studios
While Marvel has a number of interesting projects and sequels in the works, DC may now have a timing advantage over the comic book hero juggernaut that has arguably peeked with Avengers: Endgame. Aquaman may be planting seeds for future Wonder Woman movies, a Man of Steel sequel, Shazam and Black Adam, the upcoming Flash movie, the HBO Green Lantern series, and a possible Justice League sequel. There’s a lot to look forward to with the upcoming DC cinematic universe while Marvel feels like they’re beginning to squeeze the towel dry. While projects like The Eternals and Moon Knight are fun and exciting, they do lack the weight of the brand’s tent pole characters, and even non-comic book fans are beginning to recognize it. There are only so many mediocre comic book characters that can be realized into greatness with the help of cinema.
Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man were cult favorites at best in the world of comics before the movies made them household names. Unfortunately a hugely expensive production doesn’t automatically win over the hearts of fans, although it certainly can help along with clever marketing campaigns. With the right creative approach, production muscle, and star power, concepts like Squirrel Girl and The Phone Ranger could sneak up with unprecedented value, but it’s a risky proposition.
