This article is the companion piece to "Aquaman: Scion of the Lost Empire; Part 1". In the previous article, I recapped the DCCU that I've set up and laid out in my other editorials. In accordance with the plan that I've laid out in my DCCU, I have decided to allot a single solo film to Aquaman, who makes his debut silver screen appearance in Justice League film #2. This solo Aquaman film is released later than that Justice League film #2, but the events portrayed in the film takes place before.
Here's a recap of the casting for the film:
Josh Holloway as Orin/Arthur Curry
Liam Neeson/Sam Shepard as Tom Curry
Melanie Laurent as Atlanna
Milla Jovovich as Mera
Sam Claflin as Garth
Olivia Thirlby as Tula
Stanley Tucci as Vulko
Djimon Hounsou as Black Manta
Michael B. Jordan as Jackson Hyde
Wes Bentley as Orm/Ocean Master
Ahna O'Reilly as [Dolphin]
Tony Leung as Stephen Shin
* I will provide the same warning here as I did in the previous article. I took liberty with character personalities and histories.
[Untitled Aquaman Film plot]
The film opens…
A man narrates a scene clearly taking place long ago in the lost city of Atlantis. The city was a utopia, its people wealthy and peaceful. The man explains as the scene unfolds that the city of Atlantis was at the forefront of human civilization over 12,000 years ago. Its people traveled to the farthest reach of the world and traded with other humans. That is…until the city was attack by barbarians who sought after its riches. The city descended into the same war and famine that plagued other early civilization until an earthquake/volcano destroyed the land in which Atlantis sat on and the city sunk into the ocean. Thought destroyed and its people killed, the city became memories. Memories became legends and legends became myth until it was nothing but stories people told their children at bedtime.
Fade to black…Opening credits
There is a civil submarine seen traversing the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean approximately one thousand miles off the coast of Lagos, Portugal. The submarine is manned by a small crew of British treasure hunters. They find something in the water and dig it out, revealing a heavy chest of gold apparently lost and buried beneath the ocean floor. Ecstatic, the crew brings aboard the chest of gold and prepare to conclude their long expedition when one of the crew member notices something beyond the dune. When the crew investigates, they come upon an expansive maze of ruins of what might have been a city. Though most of the crew members want to investigate further, one of them thinks he sees someone swimming. The view is quickly lost and soon each crew member begins realizing they are not alone. Frighten by mysterious noises in the water and what appears to be a massive shadow looming towards them, the crew resurfaces.
They are helped up to the deck of the freight ship, Black Manta, which bore them there by crew members of the ship. The captain of the ship is eager to leave, sensing a storm is coming. The treasure hunters agree. However, when their gold is brought up to the ship deck, the treasure hunters and the Captain are killed by the ship’s crew members. They are led by Dawit/David, who quickly orders his crew to dump the bodies and leave. However, before they can the ship violently shakes. Massive tentacles rises up from the ocean and attacks the ship—a kraken. Many of the members of the crew are killed and the ship capsizes before the kraken is killed. The remainder of the crew salvages their treasure and takes off on a speedboat/lifeboat before coast guards or a passing ship discover the dead bodies and capsized ship.
A tired, blonde hair man wakes up. He appears to be middle age. It is clearly morning outside though the shades are drawn. It is apparent he is not alone in bed. Soon the woman wakes up as well. The couple goes through their morning routine until the man, identified as Arthur Curry, is called over from the living room. His attention is drawn to the TV where a morning news channel is making light of an incident that occurred over the Atlantic Ocean. Footage is shown of several Portuguese naval ships pulling a capsize ship and what appears to be a very large octopus to land. Both Arthur and the woman, [Dolphin], look at each other, fearing the worse. The two are next seen in [Dolphin]’s car, evidently driving to Arthur’s dad’s house at Amnesty Bay. Arthur’s father, Tom, has also seen the news and knows what needs to happen. Arthur says good-bye to his father and [Dolphin] before diving into the ocean.
Arthur arrives home: Atlantis, very much alive and teeming. The scene he encounters in his throne room is hectic and chaotic. His wife, Mera, sits upon his throne with his foster son Garth by her side. The royal advisors are clamoring over the fear of being discovered by the surface dwellers and the repercussions that follow. The presence of the King, Arthur, does much to settle things. Clearly angry, Arthur dismisses his advisors, save for Vulko, and demands that Mera and Garth to reveal who released a kraken from the subterranean caves they are held in (as both weapons and livestock/food source). Both are offended that Arthur would suspect them of such treachery. Knowing only one other person who could circumvent his instructions, Arthur confronts his treacherous brother Orm. However, Orm also pleads innocence. Nevertheless, Arthur orders Orm to be locked in his room and guarded by Arthur’s most trusted soldiers.
Back above the waters, Portugal authorizes U.N. scientist and marine biologist, Dr. Stephen Shin to study the large octopus/Kraken specimen. Meanwhile, David and his son, Jackson, arrives at the encampment of a Guinea-Bissau warlord who is intent on staging a coup d’etat and take control of his country. David, who works for him, returns with the chest of gold to finance his operations. The gold is meant to be given to a Vlatavian weapons dealer in exchange for European firearms. However, the two partners reach a stalemate as to the amount of gold the warlord owes and the Vlatavian arms dealers leave and the warlord keeps his gold. One night, as the warlord and the Vlatavian arms dealer continues hashing out a deal, Jackson notices a smaller container hidden within the gold in the chest. When he opens the container, a mysterious gas is released immediately rendering Jackson and the men assigned to guarding the chest unconscious.
Concurrently, in Atlantis, Arthur discuss with Mera the situation leading up to the crisis which soon escalate into an argument between the married couple regarding Arthur’s increasing frequency of absence since their infant son's death. Meanwhile, Garth pursues a captain of the royal guard, Tula, romantically.
Jackson comes to and finds himself being tended to by his mother. His father tells him that two of the guards who have been exposed to the same thing as Jackson have already died. Though Jackson does not exude symptoms of sickness, he complains of his difficulty in breathing which increases with each passing day. During a storm one night, in a spontaneous fit, Jackson finds he needs air. Stumbling outside into the rain he is surprise by his quick recovery. Throughout the next few days, the other men experience the same thing. They are all rejuvenated in rain and river. Meanwhile, studies of the mysterious container yield astoundingly little. Though the local doctor identify the material as earthly metal, it’s composition is unlike anything he’s heard of. After one of the rejuvenated guards report that he could stay submerge in water for what appears to be an indeterminate amount of time (he thought he was drowning), the warlord orders the guards and Jackson to return to the ocean floor to uncover more artifacts and clue. David balks at the notion, fearing for the safety of his son, and violently clash with the warlord before he subdue and imprisoned. Jackson and his men are forced to do the warlord’s bidding.
On a routine patrol, an Atlantean guard spots Jackson and his crew, very clearly panicking in the ocean depth and drawing the attention of a group of sharks. Garth, attempting to woo Tula by showing her a world outside of Atlantis’ borders, is alerted to the incident by the guard. The trio and retinue of guards summon by Tula, recognize Jackson and his men as humans. Despite Tula’s warning, Garth chooses to reveal himself and save Jackson. Tula, forced to protect the prince, help fights off the shark. Only Jackson and one other of his men remain. They are equally shock at Garth and Tula’s existence but agree to be escorted to Atlantis. Meanwhile, Dr. Shin reports to the U.N. stating that preliminary research already indicates that the Kraken specimens may be hundreds of years old; its species may have been around for much longer.
Jackson and his man are interrogated by Arthur and Vulko (the only two Atlanteans that understand/speaks English fluently). From Jackson, Arthur discovers what the humans have picked up and how much they know of Atlantis. Mera argues that in order to protect the existence of their people, the artifacts must be recovered. Arthur, however, does not think what Jackson has revealed to be terribly damaging and prefers to let events unfold before acting. Orm, privy to the information through spies, subtly persuades Mera to undermine Arthur’s decision and send out a party to recover the artifacts anyway. Urn, Mera’s most trusted Captain, is given the lead in the expedition and with Jackson’s man as the guide, he sets out. Meanwhile, Garth takes a liking to the human. The two strikes a truce. Garth promises to teach Jackson everything about surviving underwater and Atlantean culture if Jackson teaches Garth everything he knows about the surface world. Unbeknownst to Garth, Jackson has become smitten with Tula who also, likewise, finds Jackson fascinating.
Sometimes later, as the warlord balks at another compromise by the Vlatavian arms dealer, a commotion in their camp draws their attention. They come face to face with Urn and his Atlanteans. The not-so-subtle-on-land Atlanteans have unwittingly started a battle. However, they are much faster and stronger than humans and when threatened, violently slaughter everyone in their path. They recover the chest and flee. The warlord and his men chases after them. In the fight, David escapes imprisonment. He quickly returns home to find his wife dead and fears the worse for his son. David is re-apprehended by the warlord’s men but when he brought back to prison, he finds that the warlord have captured some of the Atlanteans. Angered by the loss of his village and wife, David volunteers to be the lead torturer in the warlord’s “experiment” on the Atlanteans to which the warlord agrees. Unbeknownst to the warlord and David, the massacre of several villages draws the attention of the Guinea-Bissau military that identify a number of the victims as American and British Salvation Army charity members. This sets off a political firestorm with NATO sending in an investigation and military team to find who is responsible. The American and British presence forces the warlord to move his operation. The American and British investigation leads them to the warlord’s former encampment where dismember body parts of the Atlanteans and their paraphernalia are recovered.
Meanwhile, in Atlantis, Urn returns as the sole survivor of his failed mission. He dies not too long after returning home and reporting to Arthur and Mera. The royal couple’s tensions and marital problems come to blow in a physical fight before they are broken up by Garth and Vulko. Orm takes the opportunity to instigate dissension amongst the Atlantean population, questioning whether or not Arthur and Mera are suited to rule. Knowing the decaying political atmosphere in Atlantis will not serve to rescue the Atlanteans captured, Garth persuades Tula and Jackson to accompany him in his own rescue. Meanwhile Arthur cracks under pressure and flees to seek advice from his father. Mera is forced by the both the public and her advisors to release Orm.
Using what Urn reported, Jackson leads Garth and Tula back to the warlord’s encampment, only to come upon the destruction brought upon his village. Insistent on checking up on his parents, Garth, Tula, and Jackson comes face to face with a grieving David. Shocked that Atlanteans killed his mother, Jackson does not prevent his father from sounding the alarm and forcing Garth and Tula into a retreat. Garth and Tula, both very formidable fighters, lay waste to David’s men. David alerts the NATO forces who ultimately capture Garth, though Jackson ultimately helps Tula escape back to the ocean. Garth is taken to the United States for questioning and detainment. After Garth’s capture and Tula’s escape, the Vlatavian arms dealer confronts David, putting the blame of the massacre of David’s village on both the Atlantean and the warlord that provoked him. Blinded by hatred, David agrees to give the arms dealer the gold if he can provide him with the means for his revenge. The arms dealer agrees and with David’s help, slaughtering the warlord and his men. David then follows the Vlatavian arms dealer to Ukraine.
Jackson brings an injured Tula back to Atlantis. Much to the horror of the Atlantean people, their prince has been captured. Orm instigate the mass public and orders a pre-emptive strike on to reclaim their prince. Orm, in actuality, believes it was time for Atlanteans to reclaim their status on the rules of mankind as their ancestors were. Mera, shell shocked at both the deterioration of her marriage the turn of events, locks herself in her chambers tending to Tula.
Meanwhile, Arthur returns to Amnesty Bay and seeks comfort in both his father’s words and [Dolphin]’s arms.
Meanwhile, an army of 100,000 Atlanteans, armed to the teeth begins their assault on the United States and Western Europe according to where Jackson had said Garth is likely taken to. Due to the Atlantean’s superior physiology and armor, they quickly overwhelm local authorities before the National Guard even the playing field. However, this also prompts retaliatory actions by NATO forces. Naval and submarine fleets are deployed, quickly pinpointing Atlantis’ location based on David’s intel. Not expecting the humans to find Atlantis, Orm is unnerved by the size of their submarines and fleet. Though it looks like open warfare could be avoided, Orm panics and unleashes the remaining Krakens on the human fleet instigating the fight. Tula reawakens and insists on joining in the defense of the city.
David is told by the Vlatavian arms dealer that his instrument of revenge is in a guarded research facility: S.T.A.R. Labs. The arms dealer’s men create a diversion long enough for David to break in. Inside, he is confronted by with series of large prototype body armor developed by a Dr. Morrow commissioned by Kord Industries near the end of the Cold War. When David is discovered, he dons one of the suits and fights his way out. Unbeknownst to David, as the security is preoccupied with his escape, the arms dealer also sneaks into the military installation and steals a series of files from Morrow’s office on advance robotics. He phones his superior to update him on a successful mission.
An emergency United Nations meeting is called to discuss the rising tension between the two races. Meanwhile, Dr. Stephen Shin pleads for the United States to set an example by standing down. Dr. Shin believes a working relationship between humans and Atlanteans can be mutually beneficial. He also calls for the political leaders of Atlantis to hold back his people. Tom Curry sees Dr. Shin’s pleas on TV and goes to confront his son. With the help of Jackson, who sought out Arthur to tell him news of his son, Tom successfully persuades his son to reclaim his responsibility as king and stop the madness. Arthur and Jackson soon join the fray.
Under the sea, Tula is mortally injured in the fight and ultimately dies in Mera’s arms. Saddened by a loss of a friend and confidante as well as anger at her own failures, Mera, with new determination, seizes back control of Atlantis from Orm and calls off the remaining Krakens. Ultimately, back on land, Arthur is able to get the attention of his people and the United States Army. Desperate to prevent anymore loss of life, Arthur states that his people only want their prince back and he wants his son back. A ceasefire is issued though tension remains high. When a troupe of soldiers moves to release and escort Garth back to Arthur, they are attacked. Garth is kidnapped by David, hell-bent on completing his revenge now that he knows who is “responsible” for the death of his people.
David contacts Arthur and goads Arthur into a confrontation by threatening to kill Garth. To Arthur’s shock and horror, he finds David at his father’s house with Garth, Tom, and [Dolphin] held hostage under torture. Garth lies on the kitchen table unconscious due to prolong lack of water exposure. Wanting Arthur to feel the same pain he felt when he had all his friends, family, and wife ripped from his life, David shoots and kills [Dolphin] in front of him. He moves to kill Tom as well when Jackson tackles his father outside. For a few moments, Arthur falls to his knees cradling the body of his lover leaving Jackson and eventually Garth, who awakes due to the commotion, to fight David. However, with the military-grade battle suit, David beats his son within an inch of his life for his “betrayal” and severe a weaken Garth’s right hand. Finally snapping out of his reverie with a heart full of anger, Arthur attacks David. Though the fight is very even keel at first, it quickly turns against David. Arthur is stronger than most Atlanteans and with his trident, electrocutes and rips apart the battle suit. Arthur is about to kill David when Tom intervenes. Shortly after, the police arrive.
With the tension abated and the situation under control, the Atlanteans all return Atlantis. Though the governments of the countries affected by the Atlantean assault agree on peace, most demands reparation for the attack. Arthur acknowledges their desire and promises he will return, he had unfinished business to attend to at home. When Arthur returns home with Garth, he finds Mera had Orm thrown in jail. The two reconcile and reaffirm their dedication to making the marriage work and finding the spark they once had together. Both know, however, that Arthur cannot stay. Arthur bequeaths the rule of the city to Mera until the day he returns and asks her to wait for him, to which she promises.
Reasoning & Discussion:
I chose to write a story the way I did is because in my opinion, Aquaman is a chance to write an international story. For the most part, comic book movies have been so rooted in one city almost entirely in the United States. Because Atantis is its own sovereignty and does not belong to one country, I felt it was the opportunity to explore internationally. This is evident in my attempt to cast more non-American and European actors in the film. I also tried to bring the story to different locations and involve people of different ethnicity, culture, and country. I knew from the start that I wanted to explore humanity’s reaction to encountering an entirely new intelligent race. Unlike Kryptonians, this other race has shared humanity’s planet for millenias without their knowing and also thriving side-by-side. The story seeks to explore not just the reaction of the United States and other developed countries, but also countries in Africa as well who may react differently.
- In my mind, Atlantean society, though advance, developed differently than the human world. Many of their custom and cultures are similar to what they were millennia ago. As a medieval fantasy fan including Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, I was really interested in exploring the dynamics of a monarchal society similar to what it may have been like in Medieval England. As such, I created the characters of the court with flaws, perfect for political scheming and backstabbing.
- One of the things I get annoyed at in most comic book movies is the lack of real threat/tension. I know it might be the product of creating a PG-13 movie or saving characters for future sequels but you know, right from the get go, that those characters are not going to die (good guys anyway). In this film, I wanted real danger which is why I decided for Tula to die and Garth to be maimed.
- As I’ve mentioned in Part 1, I was not interested in creating perfect characters divided strictly between good and bad.
- I decided to change up Black Manta’s history because his origin in the comics simply wasn’t good enough.
- I simplified things by making Atlantis the only underwater city (except for a few smatterings of outposts throughout the Atlantic). Thus, Xebel did not exist and Mera is simply an Atlantean. I didn’t feel like other dimensions and magic fit within the story that I was trying to create. As such, Jackson Hyde needed a new origin as well.
- The major flaw in my story is the whole gas-turning-humans-into-Atlanteans idea. I left it unexplained though in my head, it is either how humans of Atlantis survived under water in the first place or a product of time spent underwater. The idea was inspired by the liquid canister in District 9.
- The Vlatavian arms dealer and warlord have names…I was just too lazy to make them up. And the use of Vlatava was simply another Easter Egg I wanted to throw in there.
- Lori Lemaris is meant to make a cameo
- Like I’ve mentioned earlier, the events of this film is meant to lead into Justice League film #2 (focusing on a mash-up of Brother Eye, OMACs/Amazo, Maxwell Lord). As such, what the Vlatavian arms dealer steals from Dr. Thomas Morrow’s office are blueprints of Amazo/OMACs. The man he talks with on the phone is Maxwell Lord (Jim Caviezel). I’ve thought about including an after-credit scene with Lord but decided against it. I chose to have Morrow “create” Amazo as oppose to Ivo is because Ivo is used in Arrow and I’ve chosen to separate the two universes.
Well, thanks for reading this ridiculously long article. Comment and discuss in the usual place.