Aquaman will never be cool no matter how hard DC tries

[copykate]

@Ryuthrowsstuff

The “things” in question are the DC movies, though I’m more referring to the DC movie universe (I guess they call it the DCEU?).

OK, but how do you figure that few people like them? Even Justice League, the lowest-performing non-LEGO recent DC movie, grossed a respectable $229 billion.

@Ryuthrowsstuff

But I’ve kind of a got a bone to pick there. (Wait! It’s not the one you think!)

So when they cast Momoa there was a lot of talk from the DC people about Momoa Being Pacific Islander would be really important to how they portrayed Aquaman and Atlantis. And that’s really good.

…
But Atlantis as sunken Polynesian kingdom is a great peg to hang your hat on. You can still get all the rivals for the throne, complex back story DC geopolitics stuff that works about some of the newer take. But instead of this mushy mix of continuity, popular conception, Greek myth, And faux Jack Kirby. It’s all based on Polynesian myths, history and culture. Great way to clean it up tie it all together. It gives you a clear visual design motif to build it all around. It gives a really good basis for the whole ocean based super hero.

But they don’t seem to be doing that. The character design is clearly drawn from that. And Momoa’s take on the character. Which is neither Earnest Fish Guy nor Angry Sea king. But everything we’ve seen about the rest of the movie. Atlantis is still a bunch of bulky undersea armor, laser tridents, And the whitest actor I can think of as Aquaman’s brother.

I was initially excited for this thing. Till I got a clearer bead on where they were taking it.

I follow you. They failed to fulfill your hopes and you’re disappointed. Understandably. Your version would have been awesome. While we’re waiting, though, I’m just going to be happy we didn’t get yet another needlessly white magic white guy (looking at you, Danny Rand). (And hell, if they can cast Idris Elba as Heimdall and make the fanboys love it, do any of them need to be anything in particular? Besides damned fine actors?)