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Jason Momoa just showed off Aquaman’s new movie costume, and it could hold some hints about the future of the DC Extended Universe.
Next year, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is tapping even further into the character’s comic book history than the first film did, and the DC Extended Universe’s hero has a new look with a dark blue costume replacing his orange armor. Aquaman’s new blue suit is based on a somewhat esoteric look from the 1980s. Though this costume and its establishing storyline are mostly forgotten, they laid the ground for the ensuing years of iconic Aquaman stories, which tied Aquaman far more closely to a mystical side of the DC Universe.
These new Aquaman books had much more of a fantasy and supernatural scope, as well as the occasional foray into horror. Aquaman’s connection to Atlantis was now based more in mythological legend, and supporting cast members like Arion and the former Aqualad boasted more mystical powers than most superheroes.
Aquaman was given this costume in 1986’s Aquaman #1, by Neal Pozner and Craig Hamilton. The story involved the Atlantean offshoot community Thierna Na Oge, which was loosely based on a concept from Celtic mythology. These Atlanteans and their followers saw fit to war with the surface world, stealing the Royal Seal of Atlantis to politically impair any opposition. Aquaman is tasked by his vizier Vulko to retrieve the artifact, and he dons this costume as a disguise to do so.
This new blue costume had natural camouflage properties that allowed the King of Atlantis to blend into the sea floor’s color scheme. Upon reaching Thierna Na Oge, Aquaman becomes embroiled in a battle for several different magical artifacts which become vital to defeating his brother Ocean Master. He also realizes that his feud with his brother is part of a long line of wars between brothers in Atlantis.
Many of these elements would be built upon during writer Peter David’s acclaimed ’90s Aquaman run and its prequel, The Atlantis Chronicles, which doubled down on the idea of generational feuds between brothers and the more magical scope of Aquaman’s adventures. Several DC heroes had been heavily reimagined following Crisis on Infinite Earths, with Aquaman and Wonder Woman both notably becoming more fantasy-based and far less of generic superhero characters.
Magic, mythology and blood feuds were now part of the norm of Arthur Curry’s world, as were rebellions by the people that he ruled over. Garth, a.k.a. Aqualad eventually relinquished that title, growing from a mere minnow to become Tempest. This occurred after he realized his own tribe’s magical heritage, with a mystical pool activating his latent magical powers. He also trained under the magical former king Atlan, who in this continuity was Aquaman’s true father. Arion, another mystical Atlantean character, was also brought into prominence in the series. The leaning towards pulp fantasy saw more violent and dramatic stakes, which reshaped everything as a giant fantasy epic.
The title of the new movie is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, suggesting that a version of the Thier Na Oge storyline could be used. The more fantasy and grim horror tone of these comics would fit perfectly with director James Wan’s strengths, as well as give the film a unique hint of fantasy that could make it stand out from the pack. Such a move would cement the Aquaman film franchise as being a fantasy series, filling that role better than fellow superhero fims like Wonder Woman and even Marvel’s Thor. Whether or not this is what the blue costume means remains to be seen, but the different look certainly made a huge splash in the Aquaman comic books.
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