DC developing two separate AQUAMAN feature film scripts

We’ve already heard how Batman v Superman director Zack Snyder really likes Aquaman. A lot. But it seems that he’s not the only one on the Warner Bros lot with tons of love for the DC superhero. THR are reporting that Warner Bros are aggressively pursuing a solo feature film for the King of Atlantis, to the point that they are currently developing two separate scripts in tandem for the project.

Gangster Squad‘s Will Beall, who was also attached to a previous incarnation of a Justice League movie for the longest time, will be penning one script, while Snyder’s frequent collaborator Kurt Johnstad (300, 300: Rise of An Empire) will be tackling another. The plan is for both writers to work on their own version of the movie, after which Warner Bros will pick whichever one suits them best. This practice is one that’s become more frequent in Hollywood for productions where a set deadline has to be met, as it prevents any scheduling issues cropping up when a writer turns in a script the studio isn’t happy with and then has to go back and rewrite.

As one of the founding members of the Justice League, and with WB/DC pushing ahead with the expansion of their own shared universe, it was always almost a certainty that Aquaman was going to show up on screen, perhaps even in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice according to rumours. Jason Momoa has also been all but confirmed in the role, so confirmation of a solo movie is certainly not the biggest surprise, but the energy WB is putting into this certainly is. Aquaman is clearly rather important to their plans.

And really he should be. Created in 1941 by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, Aquaman is one of DC’s oldest and most esteemed characters. At least that was until the 1970’s cartoon show Super Friends, after which he became the butt of several jokes as being a lame guy with a big fork who could just talk to fish. Aquaman is of course much, much more than that, as recent especially badass comic book and video game appearances have shown. As Snyder pointed out the other day, he is incredibly strong, has that trident that’s sharp enough to cut Superman, can obviously survive under water quite comfortably, and yes, can talk to marine animals. But not in a “chat to a goldfish about the weather kind of way”, but rather a “telepathically command giant freaking sea monsters to fight for him” kind of way. Yeah, there aren’t much jokes to be made when your opponent comes riding into battle on some kind of vicious squid monster the size of a church.

Last Updated: August 13, 2014