‘Aquaman’ Director & Cast Discuss Chemistry, Standalone Nature Of Film

Aquaman Shazam DC Comics Black Manta Mera

Aquaman has already impressed fans with two incredible trailers and to get fans even more excited, the film’s director and cast recently discussed some of the elements that make it a unique installment of the DC Extended Universe.

The footage shown in the Aquaman trailer offers an adventure this is going to be big, colorful, and full of fantastic imagery that fans may not get from any other superhero franchise at the moment. The film’s undersea world offers unique creatures and locations that haven’t been attempted on the big screen until now, with director James Wan at the helm and stars Jason Momoa and Amber Heard reprising their Justice League roles Arthur Curry and Mera, respectively. Arthur, of course, being the underwater superhero, Aquaman.

In an upcoming interview in the latest issue of Total Film, Momoa and Heard opened up about the chemistry between their two characters. It sounds like the two leads won’t have the typical romance that fans are privy to seeing in these adventure films. Heard was careful not to define Mera as being Arthur’s romantic counterpart and elaborated on how she is a warrior, even going as far as to call Mera a superhero herself. Here’s what the star had to say.

“I was interested because I heard it was a warrior queen. To play an action superhero, not a damsel, not a love interest who needs to be saved, but to truly play a superhero in her own right, was appealing.”

Momoa then went on to liken the relationship between Arthur and Mera to the iconic duo played by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone, as well as its sequel The Jewel of the Nile.

“I think our chemistry shows and we get to dig at each other. Not that you could ever compare it to Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, but I was raised by my mother, so we definitely watched Romancing the Stone, and I loved that bickering between the two. We just strived for that… It was just really easy and effortless.”

Director James Wan then elaborated on what makes Aquaman a standalone adventure as opposed to some of the other world-building films in the DCEU.

“It’s literally a standalone movie. Not because I wasn’t open to the idea of potentially another character from the bigger universe, but it just so happens that the roads that these characters go on are not associated with any of the other superhero characters. I keep saying it would be weird to see Batman in Atlantis, or even Superman for that matter… This way I can tell my own story and not be affected by what they’re doing over there, and they’re not affected by what I’m doing over here. But we all live in the same space.”

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all news regarding Aquaman as more information becomes available. What are your thoughts on the quotes above? Have they gotten you more or less excited for DC’s latest solo film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Directed by James Wan, Aquaman stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Patrick Wilson as Orm / Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, and Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry.

Aquaman will be released in theaters on December 21, 2018.

Source: Total Film (via Games Radar)