Entertainment

Is This Our Aquaman?

by Emma Goddard

The only aquatic superheroes I’ve ever cared about up to this point are Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Oh, and Ariel from The Little Mermaid, if that even counts. The reason for this is pretty simple: Aquatic superheroes aren’t that cool when you compare them to the likes of Batman, Spider-Man, and all those others who make up The Avengers. Even Transformers are way more badass! However, now that Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa is reportedly taking on the role of Aquaman in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, maybe there’s some light at the end of the tunnel for aquatic superheroes. Maybe.

After all, this is the one and only Khal Drogo, leader of the Dothraki, and Hawaiian god with a chiseled chest that we’re talking about here. He’s bound to make this character seem not so ridiculous, right?

Though Momoa earlier denied claims that he would play Aquaman, even getting a bit angry when the press badgered him about it, HitFix has confirmed Momoa is indeed the King of the Seven Seas (though, it's worth noting, they've mentioned that Warner Bros. has not confirmed the news just yet). Furthermore, director Zack Snyder “has already finalized his designs for the character so shooting can take place soon.” So although Momoa did his best to keep Aquaman a secret when he first spoke to IGN last year (or maybe he really didn’t know) the rumors that surround movie castings were right for once, and the GoT actor has a lot of pressure on him.

So, who is Aquaman anyway? Aside from being the butt of a joke, this character is the ruler of Atlantis. Often known by his human name, Arthur Curry, Aquaman was sent to land as a baby, growing up believing that he was a normal human before later returning to Atlantis to claim his throne. Yet as someone who calls both land and sea his home, Aquaman struggles to protect the entire planet.

It seems doubtful that this side of Aquaman will be portrayed in the movie considering it is Batman v. Superman, but we can definitely expect to see his character show of his abilities, which involve telepathically communicating with sea life. Sounds a bit cooler than just being a fish whisperer, right?

Not only that, but the sea king can breathe underwater (which is kind of a given, to be fair) and swim extremely fast (like probably faster than Michael Phelps or Ryan Lochte). On land, Aquaman also has “superhuman strength, enhanced senses, and nearly impenetrable skin.” So basically, with the combined superhero powers of this character and Momoa’s natural ability to grow a handsome looking beard and stare into your soul like the GoT warlord he is, Aquaman might not be as bad as we think. Unless this happens...

Sure, scaly orange and green spandex is not for the faint of heart, and the majority of people cannot pull off the whole trident thing. (Also, Aquaman has blond hair!) However, with his role as Drogo in GoT and as angsty member of the Ramapough Mountain Indians, Phillip Kopus, in The Red Road, Jason Momoa may just be the perfect guy for this role — he can pull off everything this role requires, and look fiiiine doing it. Even with a Daenerys-esque blond wig.

At the very least, we can hope to see Momoa’s shirtless bod again on the big screen.

Images: DC Comics, goldenage-confessions/Tumblr, alwaysresearching.com