Aquaman... Yay or Nay?

Warner Bros released that there is a strong possibility that a Justice League of America (JLA) movie will be released in 2015. If that’s the case, it’d be as good of guess as any to assume it will be an origins episode, meaning Aquaman will be among the founding seven members. If you are a superhero nerd, you know that Aquaman is kind of the butt of a lot of DC-centered superhero jokes. And if you aren’t a superhero nerd, let me explain why.

Aquaman has a ton of powers – it’s a really great concept for a superhero, really. He has super-strength, can swim faster than the average, enhanced senses, can communicate with marine life, and the obvious: he can breathe underwater. The problem is that… he can only breathe underwater. Think of land as Aquaman’s kryptonite. He can function for a little bit, but he’s strongest under the surface of the water. That’s why it’s funny to nerds. He was an original member to the JLA, yet when it comes to the team, he’s utterly useless. 

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t badass. Forget the 1968 Aquaman cartoon where he frolics around in scaly tights with Aquaboy. Modern times depict the hero as a long-haired macho that could take you down with a single hand (of course, that’s because a harpoon spear replaces the other one). He’s the king of Atlantis, for God’s sake. The point here is, a new Aquaman movie could save the hero’s franchise the way The Dark Knight trilogy did from the awful, comedic Batman & Robin. Plus, it’s a cool story and concept that this generation hasn’t seen properly.

But for the Justice League movie potentially airing in a mere two years from now, throw in Hawkgirl or Cyborg as the seventh member – we need Aquaman to stay where he belongs, not defending a land that is nearly impossible for him to do so. He can be dappled into the Justice League movie the same way Robin was in The Dark Knight Rises, but for a character that would be so easy to make modern, Warner Bros, don’t screw it up.