Few tropes in the superhero genre are as extensively played out as the main character’s “torn between two worlds” dilemma. However, Aquaman looks like it will be approaching this idea from a fresh perspective. In a new featurette via ComicBook.com, director James Wan and his cast members discuss the novelty afforded by the film’s nautical setting.
The three-minute video highlights new behind-the-scenes footage, including shots of newspaper clippings that report on Arthur Curry’s heroic deeds. Wan describes Arthur’s vigilante status as being crucial to Jason Momoa’s take on the character. “Aquaman is very powerful, but what drives him comes from a very human place,” said Wan. The director also explained that the introduction of Atlantis is what truly sets the film apart from other superhero movies. “With Aquaman, the trick and also part of the fun is designing a whole different world that we’ve never seen before,” continued Wan. “You’re pretty much just limited by your own imagination.” Momoa himself echoed these remarks, likening the Atlantean scenes to “our outer space.”
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The video features additional interviews with Nicole Kidman (Queen Atlanna) and Willem Dafoe (Nuidis Vulko). The two are no strangers to comic book adaptations, having previously starred in Batman Forever and Spider-Man, respectively. Nevertheless, both actors insisted that the underwater backdrop played a significant role in convincing them to join Aquaman‘s cast. “The appeal of it was to step into something else,” said Kidman. Dafoe added that “you really are invigorated because of it. He also reflected on the “vastness and mystery” of the oceanic world presented in the film. “There’s still so much we don’t know.”
Aquaman hits theaters on December 21. You can watch the new featurette below, then share your own thoughts in the comment section.
