Bleeding Cool: Zack Snyder goes on radio and defends Aquaman

[PyroSikTh]

Haha wait, where was the "strong implication" that Aquaman would appear in Dawn of Justice? Talk about extrapolation. Snyder defended the character, and flat out said he wouldn't be appearing in the movie. Furthermore, aren't you guys forgetting about the Justice League movie after Dawn of Justice? There's pretty much a 100% chance Aquaman will be in it, before these comments from Snyder.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

Oh my god, the guy who felt this



needed to become this



to be palatable to modern audiences, is going on about what a badass THIS guy is



Hilarious as that is, it is also genuinely the best thing I've heard all day.

[Punisher007]

As a friend of mine once said "the only people who DON'T think that Aquaman is a badass are people who know nothing about Aquaman." Oh and I'm pretty sure that this:

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...13!Aquaman.png

Is more like the Aquaman that we'll see in the movies.

[CSTowle]

When pop culture has spent the past couple of decades mocking Aquaman as "the lame guy who talks to fish" or "the useless one," then I do think that he needs defending at least a little. I don't know what it is about Aquaman specifically, but he's a favorite punching boy for the media/pop culture, and I don't get it. Namor doesn't get ridiculed nearly as much for example.

There are a few reasons for this. First, as pointed out by several posters, he wasn't apart of a high profile cartoon from the '60s to be known as the lame fish-talking guy who rides a seahorse (seriously, look at that picture a few posts up and tell me there's no grounds for ridiculing Aquaman). If he had been on a high profile cartoon, and had the powers he had at the time (puffing up like a puffer fish, channeling electricity like an eel, etc. which I actually liked and wish he still had) then he probably would be the lame fish-talking hero that's the butt of the jokes.

Secondly, he punched Nazis.

Thirdly, when he came back he was a villain and so was built up as a threat on par with Dr. Doom (they even teamed up for a while). Then he was pretty much the first anti-hero I can remember of the Silver Age. So he had that edge, the "will he snap and turn rogue?" mystique that the other guy riding around on his seahorse wearing a chainmail orange (really? orange to blend in on the ocean's floor? brilliant) shirt just didn't have.

Fourth, he was the hot guy in a chainmail speedo (not orange, btw) who gave Sue Storm second thoughts about Reed.

So to recap: he wasn't saddled with being a pop culture joke because of his powers and silly costume/concept, he punched Nazis, he's edgier, uncontrollable, and sexier than Aquaman.

And nobody's seriously arguing that the Aquaman of the Silver Age and the Super Friends cartoon that is the Aquaman most people are familiar with is the Aquaman that we'd ever see in a big box office DC movie. He's almost certainly going to more closely resemble Namor than Aquaman, and if Mamoa is portraying him (and I hope he is) then he may be even more interesting than Namor. But he won't be "Aquaman" as you know him.

namorsue.jpg

[Vanguard-01]

Oh my god, the guy who felt this



needed to become this



to be palatable to modern audiences, is going on about what a badass THIS guy is



Hilarious as that is, it is also genuinely the best thing I've heard all day.

Go ahead and try marketing that first image to today's movie audience. Just try it. See what happens.

[Pharozonk]

Go ahead and try marketing that first image to today's movie audience. Just try it. See what happens.

I'm sure a lot of little kids would watch it even if teenagers dont

[Predator JP]

Go ahead and try marketing that first image to today's movie audience. Just try it. See what happens.

they did with Superman Returns.

[CSTowle]

The problem is there's an echo chamber in the movie industry on what's "hip" and "marketable", and their image of that tends to look more like Snyder's gritty "300" inspired version of Wonder Woman than the Reeves Superman. They work hard to impress tastemakers in Hollywood when the truth is there are markets out there that don't give a damn for what's hip and edgy.

I have no doubt there are millions of people who would love to see a bright, inspiring, heroic, "Big Blue Boy Scout" version of Superman on the big screen. It's not my cup of tea, but given the choice between that and what I saw in "Man of Steel" I'll go Reeves Supes any day (though my Superman is still the Smallville Tom Welling goofball).

I'm sure there's even a market for the orange chainmail shirt wearing, giant seahorse riding, fish-talking Aquaman. Probably not his own film, but as a member of a Justice League.

[CSTowle]

they did with Superman Returns.

That was a poorly written, poorly acted, bad idea of a movie. I'd tell you to go back and watch it again to see if it was the kind of upbeat, inspiring Superman we got from the Reeves version but I wouldn't wish that on a stranger.

[Buried Alien]

Go ahead and try marketing that first image to today's movie audience. Just try it. See what happens.

This gets overlooked, but we saw a very similar image at one point of MAN OF STEEL.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Predator JP]

it really doesn't matter the movie is dark or bright as long as it's a good movie which MoS was not. poeple want to see a good movie, that's about it.

[Johnny Thunders!]

This gets overlooked, but we saw a very similar image at one point of MAN OF STEEL.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

That image is still marketed because that's who the character is, optimistic and confident. MOS marketed the S symbol as a symbol for hope. I think what was different about MOS was it seemed to willfully contradict public perception of Superman to try and present something new. That's fine to me, but MOS was clunky at times.

Namor is a more interesting character to me as well, and he definitely has helped Aquaman just by being around. I like when they play with the King Arthur idea with Aquaman. I also like the Superfriends version as well. I think it's so funny that we look at kids entertainment and demand that it be epic tragedy. Kids stuff can be, but I have no problem with kids entertainment being childlike.

[Vanguard-01]

I'm sure a lot of little kids would watch it even if teenagers dont

Little kids have how much free money, again?

The majority of movie-going people are what age, again?

[CSTowle]

Little kids have how much free money, again?

The majority of movie-going people are what age, again?

How much money? Only every dollar they can drag out of their parents, which is why there are dozens of kids movies making 100s of millions of dollars every year. Maybe for that reason alone they should scrap the grim & gritty live-action thing and go full Pixar. I'd dislike it, but I'm an adult with disposable income that won't spend nearly as much on concession at the movies or toys/clothing/videogames/etc. elsewhere.

[Pinsir]

Little kids have how much free money, again?

The majority of movie-going people are what age, again?

The majority of the movie going audience tend to be young (I had sources, but I reformatted my computer and lost them). Its not that young people have a lot of money, but it is because of their parents are willing to spend money on them.