‘Aquaman’ Fights Toward His Rightful Place As King In This Comic-Con Trailer

After months of teasing, director James Wan finally unleashed the Aquaman trailer at San Diego Comic-Con’s Saturday Warner Bros. panel. This follows up on a bonkers new poster and star Jason Momoa jumping off a cliff to build some shirtless anticipation. Previously, Momoa indicated that he and Wan shared a united vision for a badass Aquaman, but does that vibe translate in the trailer?

Well, this looks surprisingly superb. C’mon, there’s a decent talking-to-fish joke in there! Warner Bros. and DC have been criticized for years over their ultra-serious approach to adapting superheroes, so maybe Aquaman can be the one who bites the bait and proves that a badass can take a joke. There’s also plenty of action on hand, as well as Momoa very stoically (and it’s still somehow funny) talking about “ass whooping” while he fights his way to his rightful crown. In the process, the trailer balances some stunning visuals (the CGI isn’t bad, really) with charismatic characters.

Also starring Amber Heard (as Mera), Patrick Wilson (as Orm), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (as Black Manta), and Nicole Kidman (as Queen Atlanna), the Aquaman trailer was described as “extraordinary” by studio executives, but “badassery” still appears to be the prevailing litmus test here. All parties involved nailed that qualification with this trailer. Here’s the film’s synopsis:

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an acition-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime — one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be … a king.”

Aquaman shall arrive in theaters on December 21.

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