AQUAMAN director James Wan has recently confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that fans expecting to see members of the Justice League appear in the aquatic hero's first standalone movie shall go wanting, as Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) will very much be keeping things in-house for his battle against the likes of King Orm (Patrick Wilson) and Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).
When asked about why he chose not to include characters like Batman, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, The Flash, or Superman, Wan in the upcoming film, Wan told the entertainment outlet, “I wanted to keep the story to the world of Aquaman and not have to worry about what other characters are doing in their films and how that would affect us. I just thought the simplest way was to keep it clean — keep it simple and let it be an Aquaman story.” Cue Leonard Cohen's version of "Hallelujah," please.
Now, just because the extended Justice League members don't show up in the film proper, there's always room for them to make an appearance as part of a post-credits sequence or two, right? Wrong! Apparently when Wan signed on to make AQUAMAN, he requested that DC give him a fair amount of independance, including the ability not to tease further adventures involving the studio's other heroes.
“I told them I understand and respect that it’s part of a bigger universe but at the end of the day I have to tell the story I want to tell, and I want to develop the character as well,” Wan previously told EW. “It was something the studio was respectful about … .in my movie he starts off one way and becomes very different by the end. It’s a classic hero’s journey. I equate our story to The Sword and the Stone, it’s a very Arthurian story about a journey to becoming king.”
Starring alongside Momoa fopr DC's "Under the Sea" experience is Amber Heard (JUSTICE LEAGUE, THE RUM DIARY) as Mera, a passionate and relentless warrior and Aquaman's reliant partner throughout his journey, Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE) as Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne, Patrick Wilson (HARD CANDY, INSIDIOUS) as Orm/Ocean Master, the modern King of Atlantis, Dolph Lundgren (ROCKY IV, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER) as Nereus, King of the Atlantean tribe Xebel, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II(THE GET DOWN, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN) as the vindictive Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (EYES WIDE SHUT, THE OTHERS) as Arthrur's mother, Atlanna, Ludi Lin (POWER RANGERS, LOST IN HONG KONG) also stars as Captain Murk, Atlantean Commando; with Temuera Morrison (GREEN LANTERN, MOANA ) as Arthur's dad, Tom Curry.
AQUAMAN will swim into cinemas beginning on December 21st.