The One Aquaman Line Jason Momoa Absolutely Hated
Aquaman has been the laughingstock of the superhero world for decades, and Jason Momoa was faced with the task of drawing public attention and proving this hero to be a viable contender when he assumed the role.
He took on the challenge with the utmost dedication by returning to the drawing board and giving the character an overhaul from the ground up.
For better or for worse, the curation of a character is not left entirely in the actors' hands. In Jason's case, it left him with a great deal of embarrassment and a bit of back-and-forth with the film's producers. This shame was all related to a one-liner that he feared would be all anybody talked about. What exactly was this line and why did Momoa have such an issue with it?
Justice has Been Served
Prior to Jason Momoa stepping into Aquaman 's seas, the character did not have a well-known backstory and was not as respected as his counterparts. Existing in the same domain as Batman and Superman, Aquaman was better suited to appear on a children's television show (in fact, Mermaid Man from Spongebob Squarepants is a direct parody of Aquaman). For that reason, Warner Studios made substantial efforts to bring some coolness to the character and landed with Momoa. The aim was to create a badass biker/viking hybrid to overshadow Aquaman's past renditions.
In trying to mold Aquaman into a striking figure, Momoa clashed with the producers over the line "I hear you can talk to fish", derived from 2017's Justice League. Momoa's sentiment was that his purpose was to make the character cool and this line would squander all its potential. Recounting the experience, Momoa remarked "[I asked Joss Whedon] do you want me to make him [Aquaman] cool, or not?" (via CBR). Thankfully, contrary to Jason's concerns, Aquaman went on to win over many people and was a standout figure in Justice League.
Ride the Wave
After the success of Justice League, Aquaman's success continued to flourish with the release of his solo film. Jason clearly rode the wave to success as the film went on to gross $355.1 million domestically and $1.148 billion worldwide. It amassed so much success that it toppled Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight Rises, making it Warner-DC's most successful title to date.
The sequel to Aquaman is slated for release sometime in 2023 and will surely continue the growing legacy Momoa has crafted for the formerly underappreciated hero.