| Aquaman | |
 | |
| Director: | James Wan |
| Producer: | Peter Safran Rob Cowan |
| Writer(s): | Screenplay by: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick Will Beall Story by: James Wan Geoff Johns Will Beall |
| Release Date: | December 21, 2018 |
| Running Time: | 143 mins |
| More Information | |
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Aquaman is the sixth film in the DC Extended Universe, which is about Arthur Curry's destiny in his search for the Trident of Neptune to become the King of Atlantis. A sequel; Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, was released in 2023.
Plot[]
In Maine, lighthouse keeper Thomas Curry rescues Atlanna, the princess of the underwater nation of Atlantis, during a storm. They eventually fall in love and have a son, Arthur, who is born with the power to communicate with marine lifeforms. Atlanna is forced to abandon her family and return to Atlantis, entrusting to her loyal adviser Nuidis Vulko the mission of training Arthur. Under Vulko's guidance, Arthur becomes a skilled warrior but is rejected by the Atlanteans for being a half-breed and ultimately leaves Atlantis behind.
One year after Steppenwolf's invasion, Arthur confronts a group of pirates attempting to hijack a nuclear submarine. Their leader, Jesse Kane, dies during the confrontation while his son, David, vows revenge against Arthur. David later targets Atlantis at the behest of Orm, Arthur's younger half-brother and Atlantis' king who uses the attack as a pretext to declare war on the surface. King Nereus of Xebel swears allegiance to Orm's cause, but his daughter Mera, who has been betrothed to Orm, refuses to aide them and journeys to the surface to ask Arthur for help, earning his trust by saving Thomas from a tidal wave sent by Orm. Arthur reluctantly accompanies Mera to a rendezvous with Vulko, who urges Arthur to find the Trident of Atlan, a magic artifact that once belonged to Atlantis’ first ruler in order to reclaim his rightful place as king. They are ambushed by Orm’s men and Mera and Vulko escape, while Arthur is captured.
Orm visits Arthur in captivity and announces that Atlanna was executed for the crime of having a half-breed son, blaming Arthur and the surface for her death. He offers Arthur an opportunity to leave forever, but Arthur instead challenges him to a duel in a ring of underwater lava. Orm gains the upper hand and nearly kills Arthur before Mera rescues him. Together, Arthur and Mera journey to the Sahara desert where the trident was forged and unlock a holographic message that leads them to Sicily, where they retrieve the trident’s coordinates. Meanwhile, Orm provides David with Atlantean armor and weaponry and sends him to stop them, imprisons Vulko upon learning of his betrayal, and coerces the remaining kingdoms of Atlantis to pledge allegiance to him and his campaign against the surface.
In Sicily, David, now calling himself Black Manta, ambushes Arthur and Mera and injures Arthur before being thrown off a cliff to his apparent death. Mera nurses Arthur’s wounds as they journey to the trident’s whereabouts, and encourages him to embrace his destiny as a hero. Arriving at their destination, Arthur and Mera are attacked by a legion of amphibious monsters known as The Trench, but manage to fend them off and reach a wormhole that transports them to an uncharted sea located at the center of the Earth. There, they are unexpectedly reunited with Atlanna, who was sacrificed to the Trench for her crimes but managed to escape and reach the uncharted sea, where she has been stranded ever since.
Arthur faces Karathen, the mythical leviathan that guards the trident, and voices his determination to protect both Atlantis and the surface, proving his worth and reclaiming the trident, which grants him control over the seven seas. Arthur, Mera, and Atlanna lead an army of marine creatures in battle against Orm and his followers, who renounce their obedience to Orm and embrace Arthur as the true king upon learning he wields the trident. Arthur defeats Orm in combat, but chooses to spare his life and Orm accepts his fate after discovering Arthur has found and rescued their mother. Atlanna returns to the surface to reunite with Thomas while Arthur ascends to the throne with Mera by his side.
In a mid-credits scene, Black Manta is rescued by Dr. Stephen Shin, a scientist obsessed with finding Atlantis, and agrees to lead Shin there in exchange for his help in his revenge on Arthur.
Cast[]
- Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman
- Kekoa Kekumano as 16-year-old Arthur Curry
- Otis Dhanji as 13-year-old Arthur Curry
- Kaan Guldur as 9-year-old Arthur Curry
- Amber Heard as Mera
- Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko
- Patrick Wilson as Orm/Ocean Master
- Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Kane/Black Manta
- Nicole Kidman as Atlanna
- Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry
- Ludi Lin as Murk
- Randall Park as Stephen Shin
- Michael Beach as Jesse Kane
- Graham McTavish as Atlan
- Djimon Hounsou as Fisherman King
- Natalia Safran as Fisherman Queen
- Sophia Forrest as Fisherman Princess
- Julie Andrews as Karathen
- John Rhys-Davies as Brine King
- Leigh Whannell as Helicopter Pilot
- Topo
References to the broader DC Extended Universe[]
- Arthur Curry/Aquaman appears.
- Mera appears.
- Orm/Ocean Master is introduced.
- Atlanna is introduced.
- David Kane/Black Manta is introduced.
- Nuidis Vulko is introduced.
- Thomas Curry is introduced.
- King Nereus is introduced.
- Murk is introduced.
- Stephen Shin is introduced.
- Jesse Kane is introduced.
- Fisherman King is introduced.
- Fisherman Queen is introduced.
- Fisherman Princess is introduced.
- Atlan appears.
- Karathen is introduced.
- The Trench are introduced.
- Topo is introduced.
- Steppenwolf is mentioned.
- Trident of Neptune is introduced.
Taglines[]
- Home is Calling.
- The fate of two worlds lies with one hero.
- He's Not From Around Here.
Production[]
The film was shot in Australia, Canada, Italy and Morocco.
Gallery[]
Promotion, Concept Art and Filming[]
.jpg "Atlantean soldier (DCEU).jpg (102 KB)")
Videos[]
References[]
External links[]
| DC Extended Universe | |
|---|---|
| Released Films | Man of Steel | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | Suicide Squad | Wonder Woman | Justice League | Aquaman | Shazam! | Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Wonder Woman 1984 | Zack Snyder's Justice League | The Suicide Squad | Black Adam Shazam! Fury of the Gods | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | The Flash | Blue Beetle |