According to Variety, Game Of Thrones, Conan and Stargate Atlantis star Jason Momoa will be appearing as Aquaman in Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel follow-up Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.
DC Comics have been on a mission to turn Aquaman into a badass, with mixed results, and Momoa certainly has the physicality to deliver on their vision of a grimacing, seaweed caked warrior king.
More important than that, it’s good to see the Monarch of Atlantis not be a fully blonde-haired, blue-eye caucasian as he is in the comics. He’s from an ancient civilisation under the sea and like Wonder Woman the casting is an opportunity to represent the rest of the world without being too specific about what that represents.
Arguably, ethnic ambiguity is a cop-out, but superheroes are more global than ever before, they’re internationally recognised brands with an incredible capacity to inspire. Doesn’t everyone deserve to be inspired, not just WASPs?
Meanwhile, apropos of nothing, this is still the best depiction of Aquaman ever seen on screen:
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice will be released on 6 May 2016, read our defence of Ben Affleck’s casting here and Gal Gadot’s casting here. Find out more about the comics that inspired the film with new digital magazine Uncanny Comics.
