'Aquaman' trailer released at the SDCC and it promises an epic battle for the underwater kingdom of Atlantis
Saturday was a busy day in terms of movie trailers at the SDCC, with a slew of large franchises giving expectant audiences a first look at their upcoming films. One of the most awaited ones in terms of DCEU was 'Aquaman' and seeing its trailer, it sure did not disappoint.
The sixth installment in the Worlds of DC, 'Aquaman' comes from James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring series, Furious 7) directing a script penned by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall. The movie sees Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), the heir to the throne of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis being asked to step forward to lead his people and be a hero to the world, just like his brother, King Orm (Patrick Wilson), who sought to unite the seven kingdoms and wage war against the surface world for polluting the oceans.
(Source: IMDb)
The 2:25-minute trailer opens with an introduction to Arthur's parents, lighthouse keeper Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison) and Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), and his proclivity for underwater life as he grows up on land. Half-human, half-Atlantian, Arthur realizes he harbors an innate ability to talk to and control fish, and breathe underwater.
There's also the first look at Amber Heard's Mera, the warrior daughter of the king of the Atlantean tribe of Xebel. Raised by Queen Atlanna and groomed to become queen, she finds herself on Arthur's side and supporting his challenge to oust Orm from the throne to become the rightful king. A quest for the Trident of Neptune to help Arthur's bid will see the pair grow closer.
But arguably the biggest reveal was that of Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). The iconic black suit appears to keep true to the comics, and even features firing lasers. And as for Atlantis, it could very well shape up to be DC's answer to Marvel's Wakanda. Add in the factor of Arthur challenging for the throne, it's practically an inverse, underwater Black Panther — not too shabby a comparison considering 'Black Panther' is set to be the first ever Marvel feature to cross a $700 million domestic gross.
For all the positives, there are a few negatives as well. For one, there appears to be quite a few cliched one-liners in the dialogues, with Curry's break-in into the submarine offering up the best example. "Permission to come aboard," he asks as he smirks. For all the brilliant CGI going around these days, the fish and the sharks seem a little too unrealistic as well. But that's just us nitpicking.
"I want our film to be a little different, a bit more unique, so to speak," Wan told the crowd gathered at the SDCC. "So my movie in some ways plays more like a science fiction fantasy film than a traditional superhero movie."
Execs at DC will hope that Wan's approach pays dividends. Almost all of the director's previous works have been critical and commercial successes, and DC could use a win right about now. While rival Marvel keeps hitting it out of the park, last year's 'Wonder Woman' is arguably the only mega blockbuster that they can boast of in their portfolio. With 'Aquaman,' they'll be finally hoping for a change in tide.
Watch the trailer for 'Aquaman' here: