Aquaman is Deserving of Some Big Screen Love

If you are wondering why Warner Bros. would green light an Aquaman movie, then perhaps you aren’t wondering hard enough.

Without a doubt he seems silly and it’s hard to get past that name, but there are indeed plans to bring the Atlantean to the big screen. Interestingly enough, Warners has more confidence in their Flash and Wonder Woman properties than Aquaman; according to Screen Rant, studio insiders claimed this week that an Aquaman film would not hit theaters until the Scarlet Speedster and the Amazonian Princess received their own successful big screen treatments.

Now this is interesting because, while Aquaman does not have the steam to carry an ongoing, he seems perfectly fit for a big screen adaptation; his story is no less far-fetched than that of Flash, Wonder Woman or Green Lantern. In fact, of the DC’s properties that seem like it will take a genius to guide them, it’s going to be Wonder Woman who may have the most difficult time making the transition to the big screen because of it’s fantasy elements and the costume. Aquaman may dress in orange chain mail, but his costume is not as iconic as Diana’s and its alterations may be more readily accepted by fanboys.

While Aquaman has never had an ongoing that has lasted more than 75 issues, in the right hands his character and world seems ripe for an epical big screen adaptation. Aquaman has Atlantean parents who abandon him to be raised by humans. When he eventually learns of his powers he returns to Atlantis where he is made king and falls in love with Mera, the future queen. He has an evil half-brother and an even more evil arch nemesis in Black Manta, who might go down in history as committing the most evil attacks on a nemesis in the annals of comic books—Black Manta kills the infant son of Aquaman and Mera.

Because he is raised as a human, he doesn’t have to be the stone-faced posturing hero just because he is the King of Atlantis. This enables the writers to create a character whose transformation from human to eventual king can be seen through the eyes of a very human character.

If the source material is treated with respect and properly mined of its stronger fantasy elements, an Aquaman film has the potential to inspire a little wonder.