Aquaman has made several appearances in numerous adaptations since his comic book debut in 1941. The character has also been referenced beyond the scope of traditional comics entertainment.
Television
Animated
Aquaman as he appears in The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure. Concentric rings are shown coming from his forehead as a special effect related to his telepathic control of and communication with fish.
Aquaman appears in The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, voiced by Marvin Miller.[1] The series featured Mera, Aqualad, a pet walrus named Tusky and Aquaman's and Aqualad's large seahorses, named Storm and Imp respectively. In addition to his usual array of abilities, this version of Aquaman had the power to generate concussive water blasts.
Super Friends
Aquaman appears in the Super Friends franchise, voiced initially by Norman Alden, and later by William Callaway. This version possesses encyclopedic knowledge of oceanography and oceanology, in addition to his more familiar water-breathing power and aquatic telepathy. However, the series has been blamed for making Aquaman unpopular, and even laughable, by making him appear to be weak.[2]
The Aquaman & Friends Action Hour
The Aquaman & Friends Action Hour aired on Cartoon Network Latin America in 2003 and was produced by Wild Hare Studios of Atlanta, Georgia.[3] The show, which lasted 7 episodes, was a parody of Aquaman's appearances on Super Friends. In this series, Aquaman is now the host of a children's television series. He is being pursued by the Legion of Doom, who had spent their entire operating budget on attempts to conquer the world and now have to rent out parts of the Hall of Doom as apartments to generate income.[4] Aquaman was chosen as the lead character in this parody series because the producers were not allowed to use the Super Friends cast due to Justice League airing in the United States.[5]
Introduced in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "A Fish Story", voiced by Miguel Ferrer,[6] this version holds a low view of humanity and is initially viewed as an urban legend. He comes into conflict with Lex Luthor after his undersea construction plans threaten Atlantis, but is captured by him before escaping with help from Superman and Lois Lane.
Aquaman makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Batman Beyond two-part episode "The Call".
Aquaman appears in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Scott Rummell.[6] Here, he has an unnamed son with Mera, and sacrifices his hand to save him from being killed in a plot against his life by his evil brother Orm. Additionally, he later joins the Justice League and becomes friends with Doctor Fate.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Aquaman appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by John DiMaggio.[7][6] In the series, Aquaman is king of Atlantis and protector of all the seas. Batman describes him as a friendly, happy-go-lucky adventurer with a "larger-than-life" personality; he has habits of giving his exploits titles such as "The Mystery of The Stolen Statue" and "The Secret of the Mechanical Sea Monster", and telling these tales to anyone within distance of his voice. He uses the phrase "Outrageous!" whenever he is shocked and peppers his speech with sea-based references. His character design is based primarily on his classic character design, but with a beard. In the series finale "Mitefall!", Bat-Mite attempts to get the series cancelled by making it jump the shark in as many ways as possible; this includes changing Aquaman's voice actor from John DiMaggio to Ted McGinley (regarded as the "patron saint" of shark-jumping). Ambush Bug manages to restore the hero's original voice by getting "Aquaman" to admit to being McGinley. Additionally, Sea King, an alternate universe version of Aquaman who is a member of the Crime Syndicate appears in the episode "Deep Cover for Batman!".
DC Super Friends
Aquaman appears in the short DC Super Friends, voiced by Mark Deakins.
Young Justice
Aquaman appears in Young Justice, voiced by Phil LaMarr.[8][6] This version is a member of the Justice League. In "Independence Day", he and Aqualad end up defeating Killer Frost in Hawaii. He and the other adult mentors of the sidekicks end up called away to help Zatara and the other Justice League members prevent Wotan from blotting out the sun. In "Fireworks", he and the other Justice League members arrive at the ruined Cadmus building following Aqualad, Kid Flash, Robin, and Superboy's fight with Blockbuster. When the sidekicks and Superboy wanted some involvement with the Justice League, Aquaman ends up agreeing with Batman and Green Arrow resulting in the formation of Young Justice. In "Downtime", Aquaman tells Aqualad that Batman had told him what happened following the team's fight with Clayface, and is called away to help the Justice League with a fire breakout in California. In "Auld Acquaintace" Aquaman is controlled by Klarion the Witch Boy and briefly fights Aqualad, but is defeated by his sidekick.
In Season 2, which is set five years after the first season, Aquaman is now partners with Lagoon Boy, and is crushed upon discovering that Kaldur'ahm has been corrupted and joined forces with his father Black Manta. Kaldur'ahm claims he could not trust Aquaman as he had kept Black Manta's identity secret from him. Aquaman states that it was a mistake, and tries to convince him that no one need suffer for it, but Aqualad angrily attacks his teacher. It is later revealed that Aqualad's corruption was a facade created to enable him to infiltrate the Light.
In Season 3, which is set two years after the second season, Arthur has given up the Aquaman title to Kaldur and looks more like his bearded appearance, with the addition of a crown. He currently is the king of Poseidonis.
Aquaman appears in Harley Quinn, voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos.[6] After appearing as a cameo in "Finding Mr. Right", in "L.O.D.R.S.V.P", after Harley's crew steals jewels from Atlantis, he pursues them to the Legion of Doom's headquarters and beats up several villains while demanding them. Harley tricks him into breaking an aquarium, causing him to scoop up the fish and leave to take them to a body of water.
Aquaman appears in Smallville, portrayed by Alan Ritchson. He is introduced in the episode "Aqua", investigating Lex Luthor's military project and its devastating effects on marine life. He briefly dates Lois Lane before leaving to continue his fight for the ecosystem. Like his Filmation counterpart, this version of the character is shown to have the power to throw "water balls" having tremendous concussive impact.
Ritchson reprised his role in the sixth season episode "Justice" as a member of Green Arrow's unnamed superhero team. Along with Cyborg and Impulse, he fights to stop Luthor from creating an army of superhumans. During this second appearance, he is using the codename "Aquaman", and wears a costume similar to his traditional one.
In the eighth season premiere "Odyssey", Arthur, Black Canary, and Oliver search for Clark Kent, who had disappeared after the finale of the previous season. They succeed in finding Clark, but Arthur and Canary are captured by Tess Mercer. In the end of the episode, Arthur severs ties to the other members of the team when their identities are compromised. He returns in the season 10 episode "Patriot" with his new wife Mera to help Clark save Oliver from Slade Wilson.
The CW had announced a live actionAquaman television series, entitled Aquaman (also referred to as Mercy Reef), but in May 2006, The CW did not pick up the show for the 2006/07 schedule. Reports (beginning after the upfronts) said The CW was still considering Aquaman for midseason due to interest piqued by the leaked promotional trailer. The pilot episode is available at Apple's iTunes Music Store and is on the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-ray as a special feature. It was also broadcast on Canada's YTV on June 9, 2007. It starred Justin Hartley as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, with supporting roles by Ving Rhames and Lou Diamond Phillips.
Aquaman makes a cameo appearance in the Peacemaker episode "It's Cow or Never", portrayed by an uncredited Jason Momoa.
Film
Live-action
Development of an Aquaman film
In 2007, Santiago Cabrera was cast as Aquaman in a Justice League film called Justice League: Mortal.[14] However, the movie was shelved later in the year.[15]
There have been plans to produce an Aquaman film since 2003. Sunrise Entertainment's Alan and Peter Riche planned to bring Aquaman to the big screen for Warner Bros. with Ben Grant, a first time writer, writing the screenplay. However, the film fell through. Years later, it was reported that an Aquaman film was in development at Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions, though that film also was never created.[16][17]
The character made his live-action theatrical debut with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, released worldwide March 25, 2016, with Jason Momoa playing him. He is seen when Wonder Woman watches several video files of metahuman sightings.[20][21]
In October 2014, Momoa revealed that Aquaman would appear in Justice League in 2017. In an official special footage prepared by Warner Brothers for San Diego Comic-Con 2016, he is seen to be reluctant to fight alongside other Justice League members at first when Bruce Wayne went to his hometown to seek his support to fight against an extraterrestrial enemy.[23] When Superman was revived, Aquaman helped to fight the confused Kryptonian. He helps Batman's allies fight Steppenwolf as Superman arrives to turn the tide. The 2021 directors cut entitled Zack Snyder's Justice League gives more emphasis to his relationships with Vulko and Mera.
It was announced on August 12, 2014, that Warner Bros. had hired screenwriters Will Beall and Kurt Johnstad to pen two separate scripts for an upcoming Aquaman film. The film was being developed on dual tracks, meaning that two scripts would be written, one by Beall and one by Johnstad, but only the better version would move forward.[24] It was announced that Aquaman would be released in 2018 as the seventh installment of the DC Extended Universe, with Momoa starring.[25] The studio was looking at Jeff Nichols and Noam Murro to direct the film.[26] On April 10, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that James Wan was being considered to direct the film.[27] On June 3, 2015, Deadline reported that Wan had signed on to direct the film and would oversee script duties with Johnstad.[28] On November 12, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that David Leslie Johnson would be writing the film's script.[29] In January 2016, Variety reported that Amber Heard was in talks for the role of Mera in this film and the two part Justice League film.[30] Months later, Heard was confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that she will be portraying Mera.[31] It was announced that the film would be set after Justice League and it would not be an origin story.[32][33] Wan also stated that he chose directing the film over The Flash.[34] In April 2016, actor Willem Dafoe was cast as Nuidis Vulko.[35] On July 22, 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Beall would be writing the film, based on the story treatment from Wan and Geoff Johns.[36] On August 10, 2016, The Wrap reported that Black Manta would be the film's main antagonist.[37] In September 2016, it was announced that the film would be shot in Australia in 2017.[38] Wan stated in an interview that the film is a "swashbuckling action adventure, sort of high seas adventure story. A quest story in the spirit of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Romancing the Stone and there would be a dynamic between Arthur and Mera start off as a love-hate relationship where they don't quite click and as time goes by and they try to work together they get closer and closer".[39][40] The film went into pre-production in Queensland, Australia in November 2016[41] and began shooting in 2017.[38] On December 2, 2016, Warner Bros. announced a new release date of October 5, 2018.[42] On December 12, 2016, Deadline reported that Patrick Wilson was cast as Ocean Master.[43] On December 29, 2016, it was announced that Keir Beck and his stunt team would work on the film.[44] On January 31, 2017, Nicole Kidman and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II were cast as Queen Atlanna and Black Manta, respectively.[45] On February 3, 2017, Temuera Morrison was cast as Aquaman's father.[46] On February 20, Wan confirmed it on Twitter that cinematographer Don Burgess, who previously worked with Wan on The Conjuring 2, would serve as cinematographer for Aquaman.[47] On March 16, it was announced that the movie would be delayed from the October release date, to December 21, 2018.[48] On April 12, it was revealed that Dolph Lundgren had joined the film and plays King Nereus of Xebel.[49]
Filmmaker Adam Green (creator of the Hatchet series, as well as director of the first two) was commissioned to write a screenplay for an animated Aquaman film, which was ultimately not produced.[52]
Bruce Timm's Aquaman film
An animated film based on Aquaman was first mentioned by Bruce Timm in 2010, but was cancelled due to marketing concerns.[53][54]
In the present day, Aquaman helps save one of Flash's rogues from Reverse-Flash's bombs. In the Flashpoint timeline, Aquaman is shown to be more ruthless and bulkier. He and Wonder Woman attempted to have an alliance between Atlantis and Themyscira, ending up having an affair; his wife saw them and ended up perishing in a fight with Wonder Woman to defend her claim on her husband. The resulting war caused chaos on a global scale, resulting in Aquaman's capture of Captain Atom; he had him used as the source of a bomb to take out the Amazons and himself as a last resort. At the end of the film, he does just that, forcing Flash to travel back in time, avert the disaster, and restore the timeline.
Aquaman appears as the main protagonist in Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, voiced by Matt Lanter.[59][6] In the film Arthur Curry is initially unaware that he is half-Atlantean, due to his mother being the princess of Atlantis and promised to someone else; in the present she is the Queen, and trying to keep Arthur's half-brother Orm under control after Darkseid's attack in Justice League: War cost the King of Atlantis his life. At the time, Arthur has just lost his father and is being watched over by Mera, his mother's loyal right-hand woman. After Black Manta orders an assassination attempt on him, Arthur is brought to the royal armory by Mera; there, he dresses in what would become his costume. Arthur confronts Orm, with the help of the Justice League, but learns that Orm murdered their mother so he could wage war against the surface world. Amid the battle, Arthur learns Black Manta had manipulated Orm and summons a shark to swallow him. Thanks to Cyborg's technology, they are able to play Orm's confession of murder to the troops; Arthur takes his place as king, wanting to bridge the surface and Atlantean worlds in peace. Much to his annoyance, Arthur is given the codename Aquaman by Shazam.
Aquaman appears in The Death of Superman, with Matt Lanter reprising his role. He is among the members of the Justice League who battle Doomsday, although they end up subdued before Superman arrives to defeat the creature. He is shown alongside the other Leaguers in the end attending Superman's funeral.
Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis
Aquaman makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. He joins the rest of the Justice League in a counter-attack against Darkseid. He is killed by Darkseid's Omega Beams after arriving and being ambushed on Apokolips by the Paradooms.
Aquaman appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Jens Anderson.[6]Circe ends up mind-controlling Aquaman into attacking the surface world causing the players to assist Martian Manhunter into fighting them. When under the control of Circe, Aquaman is served by various marine minions.
Aquaman appears as a playable character in Lego Dimensions, with Brian Bloom reprising the role.
Aquaman appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, with Scott Porter reprising the role, while his Crime Syndicate counterpart Sea King is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.[6] This incarnation of Sea-King is present with his teammates as opposed to both his demise and possession by Deadman in the comics.[63] The cinematic incarnation of Aquaman appears in a two part DLC inspired by the film, voiced by Lex Lang.
Injustice
Aquaman appears as a playable character in the Injustice video games, voiced again by Phil LaMarr.[6] In the first game, he had downloadable alternate costumes based on his appearances in Flashpoint and Blackest Night.
In the first game, Aquaman is one of the Justice League members taken from the primary universe into an alternate world where Superman and his Regime rule over the planet. They are recruited by that world's Batman into the fight against the tyrannical Superman. In Aquaman's chapter in the story, he goes to Atlantis to learn more about the history of this alternate dimension in the midst of the alternate Aquaman's treaty negotiation with Flash and Shazam. When he discovers that the alternate Aquaman plans to register Atlantis under the Regime (thus giving Superman control over Atlantis), he becomes enraged at his counterpart's willingness to yield and defeats his alternate self as well as the Regime versions of Flash and Shazam before joining Batman's Insurgency to combat Superman. In the game's climax, the alternate Aquaman leads an Atlantean siege on Metropolis by High Councilor Superman's orders before he and the Atlanteans are stopped by the primary Superman and the Amazons. In his single player ending, he unites the world's oceans under the banner of Atlantis and gained a controlling interest in the planet's economy and ecology. The world's multinational corporations hired assassins to end his reign, but the world's citizens rose up in anger to those who would quell Aquaman's influence. After the threats desisted, a groundswell of support began for a United Earth under Aquaman's command.
In the second game, the alternate Aquaman initially refuses to help Batman combat against Brainiac's forces as he does not want to get dragged into another surface world conflict, but Green Lantern does convince Arthur to lend some of his Atlantean forces to help after Atlantis starts to become invaded by Brainiac. Eventually, Atlantis and its people become captured by Brainiac, with Aquaman managing to escape before he is caught with them. He volunteers to assist Black Adam in using the Rock of Eternity to take out Brainiac's defenses, as his trident would act as a suitable conduit to direct the Rock's power. They arrive in Kahndaq and are attacked by Grodd, who fights the two kings alongside the brainwashed Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Blue Beetle. Aquaman kills Grodd to avenge the Atlanteans abducted by Brainiac before he and Black Adam successfully lower Brainiac's defenses. On Brainiac's ship, Arthur is pleased to find out that Superman managed to restore Atlantis from Brainac's ship. In Batman and Superman's conflict over whether to spare Brainiac, he sides with Superman as he believes leaving Brainiac alive would be too risky and is fine with killing his enemies as it matches Atlantis' old fashioned sense of justice. He is defeated by Batman on the ship, as Batman puts Arthur out of commission by stabbing his leg with the Atlantean Trident. In his single player ending, Superman rises to power once again with Brainiac's death and Batman's defeat. Aquaman couldn't muster a force powerful enough to combat Superman to prevent the High Councilor from taking over Atlantis again. The Atlanteans discover a hidden Insurgency hideout underwater that contained Lex Luthor's interdimensional portal. After his scientists fix the portal, Aquaman uses it to travel to the primary universe from the first game to request their help in stopping Superman once again while also begging for their forgiveness.
Fortnite
Aquaman appears as a cosmetic outfit in Fortnite.[64]
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv"Aquaman Voices". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved December 12, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
^"Comics Continuum". Comics Continuum. July 17, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
