Read on for more and discover the origins of the spiffy new costume that the King of Atlantis is going to be sporting in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Jason Momoa and James Wan share the costumes on Instagram
Jason Momoa recently shared a personal video, confirming he is in London, England for the filming of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The actor mentioned how he will again be sporting a blonde hairdo and looking forward to filming with director Wan and the sequel’s cast, while also thanking his fans for the support: Both the star and the director of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom shared the pictures of Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman) sporting the two different suits on their Instagram accounts. The first one is the suit of armor that Aquaman acquired at the climax of the first movie, with the gold and green motif (which homages the classic orange and green costume from the comics). It appears to have no major alterations from the 2018 film, including the golden trident that belongs to the true King of Atlantis. The second suit is a major redesign compared to the first costume. It has a different color scheme, with a dark blue and gun metal gray motif. It also does not have any gloves this time around. This new costume for Aquaman shares some similarities with the Man of Steel design Henry Cavill wore as Superman, with the textured, almost snakeskin material. On the actor’s Instagram post, Jason Momoa included the caption: Meanwhile, James Wan had this to say about the new Aquaman costumes on his own Instagram: Based on the director’s description, it is likely the new suit will feature some form of Atlantean magic or technology that allows him to blend into his environment and make the superhero seem invisible.
Origins of the blue Aquaman costume
Although the exact details as to why Arthur Curry will be wearing a new costume in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are nowhere to be found, we may be able to glean some hints by looking at the source material. In the comic books, Aquaman did actually wear an alternate blue costume. This happened in the 4 issue miniseries Aquaman Volume 2, published from February to May, 1986. The idea behind the suit’s new dark and light blue color scheme is to provide some level of stealth. After all, Aquaman’s orange and bright green is not exactly the most easy to hide (even assuming the low light in the deepest areas of the ocean). The blue hues would more effectively serve as camouflage when Aquaman is submerged. In the comic itself, the story revolves around Ocean Master making another bid at claiming the throne of Atlantis. Part of the plot is Aquaman seeking the stolen Royal Seal of Atlantis that is necessary to prove his rightful position as king. In the midst of his quest, Aquaman discovers the city of Thierna Na Oge, home of the Tuatha De Danann which is an offshoot of the Atlantean race. But it would later be discovered that Ocean Master was manipulating events to claim the powerful magical artifacts called the Zodiac Stones, while fueling a civil war between Bres and Nuada Silverhand, the ruling siblings of the Tuatha De Danann. In the end, Aquaman had to battle his brother Ocean Master on the astral plane and help Nuada reclaim her throne. Arthur and Nuada then join together in reacquainting the Tuatha De Danann with the other kingdoms of Atlantis.
James Wan teased darker tone
Given that the tile of the film is Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, it stands to reason that the movie will be drawing plot elements from the aforementioned 1986 DC Comics mini-series. How much will be referenced has yet to be revealed, such as how Black Manta will renew his pursuit of vengeance, as teased in the first film’s end credits. It should be noted that James Wan has stated the Aquaman sequel will be darker. During the DC Fandome event last 2020, Wan had this to say about the upcoming Aquman and the Lost Kingdom feel and themes: Before his Aquaman work, James Wan made a name for himself in the horror genre, such as the Saw franchise, The Conjuring, Insidious, and Slender Man. Based on the director’s comments, it is likely that there will be more horror movie-inspired elements in the DCEU superhero film sequel. Directed by James Wan, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom stars Jason Momoa (Arthur Curry/Aquaman), Amber Heard (Mera), Patrick Wilson (Orm Marius/Ocean Master), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (David Kane/Black Manta), Dolph Lundgren (King Nereus). Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film dives into theaters on December 16, 2022.