Aquaman is going to be here before we know it and while the only DC Comics movie of 2018 is going to be facing some stiff competition at the box office, it's easy enough to imagine fans flocking to the theater on December 21st to check this one out.
While it won't be playing in front of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (which is a baffling move), Warner Bros. has today released the final trailer for Aquaman and it's fair to say that it's nothing short of epic. Featuring incredible visuals and some intriguing new details, the signs are all pointing to this being every bit as good as last year's Wonder Woman.
Now, we're taking a deep dive into this final sneak peek to highlight all the best moments and to focus on the biggest reveals. To check out the breakdown in its entirety, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button down below to take a look...
Return Of The King
It definitely appears as if the driving force of Aquaman is going to be Arthur Curry's journey to becoming the King of Atlantis and taking his rightful place as the leader of the underwater cities.
That feels like something of a departure from the version of the character we saw in Justice League as he didn't appear to have any interest in being a king and James Wan will have his work cut out for him if he has to essentially reboot the hero and take him down a very different route to the one he was put on by Zack Snyder. Luckily, it appears as if that will definitely be the case here.
Interestingly, Arthur's future appears to be something his mother was always well aware of.
Restoring Atlantis
While it would be easy to look at this shot and the assume the voiceover means that Arthur's mission will be to restore Atlantis' to its rightful place on the surface, the fact is that such a plot point wouldn't really make sense for the sunken city and this is more than likely a reference to the hero having to reunite the fractured cities of the fallen nation. Remember the "Unite the Seven" tagline?
Aqualad
Warner Bros.' decision to introduce the members of the Justice League in the present day and to then launch solo movies delving into their origin stories was a weird one but it means we'll get to see Arthur when he was just a kid (or an Aqualad, if you like).
Vulko was clearly a big part of his youth and seemingly trained him in secret, something which would obviously explain why he's such a skilled fighter and swimmer in Justice League despite the fact he's seemingly never really spent much time in Atlantis.
De-Aged Willem Dafoe
I'm not saying that Warner Bros. is stealing Marvel Studios' tricks here but it appears as if Willem Dafoe is going to be digitally de-aged in the DC Comics adaptation for these flashbacks to Arthur's younger days. Wan probably could have got away with just saying that Atlanteans don't age but they're not Amazons so it does arguably make sense that we're going to see Vulko in his younger days.
Hidden Depths
One of the most interesting moments in the trailer comes when Vulko leads Arthur beneath the seas and the youngster's Atlantean side seemingly kicks in. It's then that he's able to see the colourful sights of his mother's home and this may go some way in explaining what some fans have previously argued should be considered a plot hole of sorts.
Perhaps it's only Atlanteans who can see Atlantis the way its portrayed in this movie; if that's the case, it explains why humans have never discovered that there's an entire nation of "people" living in the oceans and why no deep sea divers have stumbled across the sunken city. It's a cool idea and similar to the way that Themyscira is hidden from the world of man.
The Trident
It's been clear for a while now that the trident will be Aquaman's McGuffin but this trailer makes it clear that it has some sort of power which will help Arthur bring together the people of Atlantis. That can only happen if it's in the right hands, though, and if Ocean Master gets his villainous mitts on it, it will lead to nothing but destruction for us poor saps on the surface world.
Ocean Master's Plan
It's no secret that Ocean Master (Orm) wants to make the surface world pay for the damage they've wrought upon his kingdom and while his comic book counterpart has frequently been portrayed as an anti-hero and ally to Arthur, it's clear that this version is a full-on bad guy.
The fact he's meeting with King Nereus (Mera's father) is interesting too because it appears as if he's attempting to recruit him in his war against the surface, something which is bound to lead to Nereus clashing with his daughter at some point in the movie before his people and Arthur's are brought together when it becomes clear that a royal wedding is in the cards...well, at some point anyway!
Forget The Spear
When Aquaman was introduced in the DCEU during Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice wielding a five-pronged spear, fans weren't happy. There were rumours that Amanda Waller might have the original trident hidden away somewhere but those came to nothing and we ended up sitting through Justice League watching Arthur fighting with the wrong weapon!
I'm not saying that this trailer takes a shot at that because it was obviously always the plan for Aquaman to get the trident but it definitely appears as if this movie won't waste any time in getting rid of the spear in order to give Arthur the weapon comic book fans really want to see.
A Badass Gladiator Battle
We've known since the Comic-Con trailer that Aquaman and Ocean Master will come to blows in what appears to be a standout fight sequence and this sneak peeks provides an even better look at that as the two go to war in an underwater colosseum...above a freaking volcano!
The visuals for that battle are nothing short of extraordinary and seeing as they're fighting for the right to rule Atlantis (and wield the trident, I guess), something tells me that Orm is going to find a way to win and that it will take Arthur more than one fight to prove he's the true king.
Black Manta's Origin Story
Just like Aquaman is going to be an origin story for the titular hero, the same will be the case for Black Manta. Here, we see the villain standing atop his submarine and meeting with a group of armoured Atlanteans (that's something they clearly need to survive while on the surface world).
It's safe to assume that they're there under the orders of Ocean Master and will provide him with the armour he'll use to take the fight to Aquaman and Mera before getting a larger role in the sequel.
Mera's Powers
We've only caught glimpses of Mera's powers up until now but this trailer provides our best look yet at them in action and it's fair to say that she's a total badass!
While Mera can use her powers on the surface (something which was evident when she used that bead of sweat on Arthur's forehead to get that ancient Atlantean relic moving), it's clearly underwater that she'll shine and it's no exaggeration to say that she could prove to be an even bigger badass than Wonder Woman. With any luck, her future in the DCEU is going to be a bright one.
Arthur's Armour
I may have overlooked this in previous trailers but this one makes it clear that King Atlan is wearing the armour (or a variation) of it that Arthur will end up decked out in by the time the credits roll.
Giving his comic book faithful suit a backstory is definitely a smart move and one which gives what he'll wear some history rather than it being a random armour he finds in Atlantis' armoury! What will be really interesting is seeing how he ends up finding it and whether or not Orm also desires it along with that all-important trident...
Insane Visuals
The screengrab above really doesn't do Aquaman's visuals justice but if you've watched it as many times as I have, I think you'll agree that this movie looks INSANE! Yes, the special effects were a tad hit and miss in the Comic-Con teaser, but it's clear that a lot of work has been done since then and the hero - and the world of Atlantis - are in very good hands with director James Wan.
Holy Sh*t, It's Topo!
I feel like this might be something Warner Bros. should have saved for the movie itself but seeing Topo arrive to even the odds in what looks set to be a mind-blowing final battle is one heck of a move on Wan's part and something I can't wait to see in action.
While he was once portrayed as Aquaman's loyal pet, The New 52 reboot made Tope a fearsome sea monster and gigantic creature that is part octopus and part crab that only Aquaman can summon with a special conch. Clearly, he's going to end up calling on him for help to put a stop to Orm and something tells me the villain could very well end up being eaten by this massive beast...
What did you guys think of the final trailer for Aquaman? As always, be sure to let us know that and your favourite moments from it in the comments section below.