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Not exclusive to hero movies anyway. People would be shocked at all to see big expensive nationally marketed films at all. Jaws is known as the first Blockbuster by many and that was in 1975
What are you talking about? Ben Hur? the Prodigal? the Ten Commandments, Fall of the Roman Empire, Dr Zhivago? Huge expensive musicals in the 60s like Paint Your Wagon, Hello Dolly, The Sound of Music, Dr. Dolittle. Those were absolutely expensive movies marketed as blockbusters. The Poseidon Adventure, the Towering Inferno, Earthquake.
Hell, 1963’s Cleopatra is still one of the most expensive movies ever made. In no way is Jaws the first blockbuster movie. In fact I have only ever heard it referred to as “the first SUMMER blockbuster.”
Nope. I read them. Jaws may have been the first wide release blockbuster, but a roadshow release was very important for high-budget movies prior to that. A roadshow release doesn’t prevent a massive budget film from being a blockbuster in my opinion. You just have a pedantic, ultra-specific idea of what a blockbuster is.
Agreed. I followed him in 1974 and while I loved the character he was never on the same level as Robin let alone the Trinity. Superfriends put him even deeper into a box and by the late 70's early 80's it was solid that he wasn't useful for anything outside of water.
Want to see how disrespected Aquaman was read Aquaman #61 and keep in mind that this is a AQUAMAN book.
His fame was only because of his connection to the Justice League, but even in the League he wasn't well represented and since DC focused more on the Worlds Finest a hero who had 70% of the planet at his command was relegated to insignificant storylines in the team concept and had a very small fan base in the solo comics, and while his fame has Increased you can still see that it's taking a while as even today with him having the power of Infinite Oceans throughout the Universe as the Avatar of the Blue still puts him at the lower end of power as most still don't read his books and think he's the Aquaman of the far past.
Peter David made the break from gentle Aquaman to the Aquaman that was all about fafo.
The book I referenced above is vastly different from anything PD wrote and Peter broke the mold and doesn't get a lot of credit. Geoff Johns is the writer who gets the lions share, but it was PD in the 90s who started it plus no one else has written more Aquaman books than the Peter Run before getting canceled.
I like Paul Levitz, David Michelinie, and Steve Skeates, but Geoff, Dan and Jeremy can all thank Peter for kicking it off.
That probably wouldn't end well for me not because Batman and Superman stans existed then but because I'm a person of color interacting with white people in the 1960s.
Ironically I think that was the height of Aquaman's popularity (until the 2010s). He was in his own animated show, had his own comic series, had his own action figures and merc for the first time, was in the JLA comic series and soon would be in the Super Friends in the 70s.
So while I think they'd be surprised it made more money I don't think they'd be as surprised as folks from the 80s. The 60s folks would be more surprised that superhero movies were making a ton of money or that any movie was making a BILLION dollars
On another thread there was a discussion about who owns the No. 4 spot in the DC pantheon. I personally believe that it has shifted over time, and the 60's/70's was when Aquaman occupied it. I think by the late 80's and 90's, it was Flash, it was GL in the 2000's, and it's Flash again since the 2010's, with Aquaman briefly taking over around the time of the movie.
So as an Aquaman fan I personally will always have him as the 4th Pillar. But practically? It's probably Dick Grayson. He was also a Super Friend too.
No one has appeared in more DC Comics than Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Dick Grayson (as Robin/Nightwing). Adaptations, cartoons, the comics. Regularly appearing in Batman, Detective Comics, World's Finest, the Batman Family stories, the Robin stories, Teen Titans, various team ups and more, his cartoons and film appearances also just make him one of the most recognizable characters).
But I also like the way you broke it down and as a whole I can agree with that.
When superheroes went away after the Golden Age, only 5 superheroes DC published were published continuously. Superman, Batman (and Robin), Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow (but Green Arrow actually took a break so some don't even count him). So when Aquaman got his own series and appeared for a cover for the first time in early Silver Age, it was well-earned. Historically, Aquaman, alongside the Trinity is one of the most recognizable. His outfit has gone through few revisions, while others may try to claim the Aquaman mantle, it always inevitably goes back to Arthur Curry (just like when others try to claim the Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman mantle it inevitably always goes back to the originals) because they just ARE those heroes. Robin is a mantle, Flash and Green Lantern are mantles. but if you say "Aquaman is my favorite" or "Wonder Woman is my favorite" etc. No one asks "Which one?" We all know what you mean. There's just a status those four have.
But I think your breakdown is still fair nonetheless.
Literally, while comic fans obviously put Flash and Green Lantern above Aquaman, if you ask any random person who doesn't read comics or watch DC shows, just from pop culture alone Aquaman is probably in fifth place popularity wise behind the Trinity and Robin.
I think that would certainly have been the case in the 60's and 70's, maybe even the 80's.
But in more recent decades, it's probably gonna be the Flash more often than not. Maybe Green Lantern. A cynic would say, Harley Quinn ;)
The consistent exposure Flash has had over the last 35-40 years is pretty crazy. In the comics, you've had Wally West with pretty landmark runs by major creators like Mark Waid and Grant Morrison, who's pretty much the poster-boy of the Post-Crisis DCU in many ways. In the realm of adaptations, Barry Allen has had two TV shows, the latest of which lasted 9 seasons. Wally appeared in the JLU cartoon that introduced a generation (my generation!) to the DCU. Flash has consistently been a presence in the DC animated films, headlining two of them. And he's been in the Justice League film and had his own film - regardless of their quality, it counts for something.
In contrast, over the same period, the biggest Aquaman thing that really made a splash in wider pop-culture outside of hardcore comic-book circles, is the 2018 film.
True, true, I'll give you the Flash and maybe even Harley lol, but, and I say this as a big Green Lantern fan, I do think Aquaman is more known by casuals than Green Lantern is.
I feel Robin is basically an extension of the Batman franchise, and always has been. So I hesitate to give him the fourth spot.
Still, I would say that maybe before the late 60's, Robin was No. 4.
I'd kind of break it down roughly like this in fact:
1940 - 1967: Robin
1967 - 1987: Aquaman
1987 - 2004: The Flash
2004 - 2011: Green Lantern
2011 - Present: The Flash (plus Aquaman circa 2018-19)
Basically, Robin attached though he was to Batman, was the fourth biggest character. Then in the late 60's, Aquaman got his own cartoon. Over the subsequent decade, Aquaman was a consistent presence in Superfriends, cementing his status as an evergreen DC character alongside the Trinity. Robin's star on the other hand slowly started to decline since he was no longer that indispensable to Batman, at least in the comics.
By the late 80's, with Wally taking over as the Flash after the Crisis, the Scarlet Speedster became one of DC's hottest properties, bolstered by the TV show in 1990, and some pretty landmark comic-book runs. This continued into the new millenium, with the Flash gaining more exposure thanks to the JL cartoon.
Then Geoff Johns revived Hal Jordan (literally!) and we got a period where Green Lantern became one of DC's hottest properties on the comics side. Plus, John Stewart had become a star thanks to the JL cartoon. GL got his own animated series and there was massive momentum on the franchise in the build-up to the movie in 2011.
The movie though...didn't perform as expected and the momentum was lost. In the meantime, Barry Allen returned (again, revived by Johns!) and became the centre of the DCU again thanks to Flashpoint. Shortly thereafter, the CW Flash show began. This cemented Flash as DC's biggest character outside of the Trinity, with the exception of the period around the release of the 2018 Aquaman movie, when Aquaman possibly superceded the Scarlet Speedster to take the fourth spot again.
I like the breakdown. An argument (not one I like) could be made Harley in the 2010s too though. The movies, the shows, the comics, the video games. It all exploded in this time period too.
I think she suffers from overexposure and I don't count her a hero but my goodness I'm sick of seeing her but Harley for whatever reason keeps getting shoved down our throats.
Yeah the argument (not one I like either!) could be made or Harley. But I think Harley was just one of those characters who had a temporary surge in popularity/exposure, but was never really "DC royalty".
I think Peacemaker, to a much lesser degree, is having a moment as well right now - but unless he continues to have a major part in Gunn's DCU, that'll likely fade.
Oh I'm okay with her being popular. The more the merrier, as they say!
But I would never consider her to be part of the 'DC Pantheon' alongside the likes of the Trinity, GL, Flash and Aquaman. Nor would I want DC/WB to consider her as part of it! Because what she represents just isn't part of the 'core DC brand' as I see it. Doesn't mean she can't be massively successful and rake in the moolah!
There's also the question of the extent to which Harley is a 'brand' in her own right and not just an extension of Batman. If you think about it, most popular Batman-adjacent characters are bigger household names than many DC heroes. Joker is certainly more 'popular' among general audiences than Green Lantern, for instance (and he's got the billion-dollar movie to prove it!) Granted, DC/WB is now trying to build Supergirl as the "fourth pillar" of Gunn's DCU, so their thinking on this probably differs from mine.
I guess...it was the only DC movie of 2018 so DC fans flocked to it (Marvel on the other hand was at its peak).
Jason Momoa was also one of the better-liked Justice League actors and his portrayal of Aquaman had already struck a chord with audiences.
Plus, unless I'm mistaken, critics and reviewers loved the film because it was a lot like a Marvel film (even if some of them bitched about the similarities)...remember again, Marvel was at its peak.
Visually Interesting. - The bulk of Aquaman's box office was from overseas Markets. Kaiju and sea monsters and special effect movies tend to favor more international markets than only domestic. Unique worlds, and cool designs for all these kingdoms and their military etc. It made for an exciting film. It felt epic.
Good director, likable star - James Wan, as a horror director brought a distinct visual style to the film and actually made a competent, dareisay good film? People still talk about the visuals of Aquaman like the Trench Sequence in a way they don't still talk about the visuals of most of the other DCEU films (that aren't Snyder directed). Jason Momoa was also, while not a bankable star, a very likable one. I know many people (including many women) who went to see Aquaman just because of him. A friend of mine went to that as part of her bachelorette party lol.
Superhero movies were trending upward. It was pre-Covid, pre-Endgame. It was post-JOSSTICE League so ironically DC was about to trend downward, but you'd be mistaken for forgetting that given Aquaman and Joker being such huge hits the next two years (and SHAZAM! being profitable enough to make a sequel).
It was based on a pretty great story. While simplified for the movie, it was actually based on a great storyline and easy to follow for fans. It served as both an origin story for the character, so it was easy to jump on for fans and newbies, while also being a good introduction to the whole world etc.
Aquaman is kind of a popular character? I'm an Aquaman fan. I have been since I was like 4. There aren't as many of us as say Batman or Hulk but we exist. There's enough of us to constantly merit Aquaman merch from time to time and guest appearances in shows and comics. And usually he has his own comic title. So there's a pre-existing fanbase there that's loyal
I’d probably get the pitchforks because I’m black and disrespected their beloved Batman and Superman. They probably would say some ‘60s sexist comments like, “Of course Wonder Woman won’t do well! She’s a woman!” So yeah, I’d be cooked.
"What do you mean a black man was The president of the United States? Screw it, at least it's not a woman. Am I right or am I right, huh huh?"
-Someone from the 60s talking with a Time traveler
Reread the question, look up on 1960s history before American desegregation (the time period that I selected that made my response reasonable), then come back to the picture that I painted.
The difference between the director loving and understanding the character and having a stellar hard working cast, and a director who just wants to change characters to meet their darker and edgier universe and only cares about his vision making it harder with writing only they understand.
I mean, the Aquaman we got differs greatly from his comic counterpart. I don't know if he understood the character but definitely improved upon the Snyder initial idea, that's for sure. Wan is just such a good director.
I still don't know how the hell Aquaman made that much money, but it's very telling that the first big screen team-up between Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman couldn't even crack a billion dollars at the absolute peak of superhero cinema's popularity. What a botched job.
Absolute peak of superhero cinema's popularity was also absolute peak of Marvel's popularity. Being like a Marvel movie was considered a positive, rather than a negative as it likely would today, by critics, and even a sizable chunk of fans.
Aquaman was like a Marvel movie. Snyder's films seemed almost anti-Marvel by definition.
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In the 60s I think people would be shocked that superhero movies were a thing.
Sure batman got a movie and there was superman vs the mole men in the 50s, but the idea of these being big money making projects would seem insane
Not exclusive to hero movies anyway. People would be shocked at all to see big expensive nationally marketed films at all. Jaws is known as the first Blockbuster by many and that was in 1975
What are you talking about? Ben Hur? the Prodigal? the Ten Commandments, Fall of the Roman Empire, Dr Zhivago? Huge expensive musicals in the 60s like Paint Your Wagon, Hello Dolly, The Sound of Music, Dr. Dolittle. Those were absolutely expensive movies marketed as blockbusters. The Poseidon Adventure, the Towering Inferno, Earthquake.
Hell, 1963’s Cleopatra is still one of the most expensive movies ever made. In no way is Jaws the first blockbuster movie. In fact I have only ever heard it referred to as “the first SUMMER blockbuster.”
I'm at work and I can't be bothered to rip and reword other peoples statements so I'll let these fine folks explain it themselves
https://www.reddit.com/r/boxoffice/s/l57nfqYpVR
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/s/u495ocCtJ4
https://cinephiliabeyond.org/jaws-groundbreaking-summer-blockbuster-changed-hollywood-summer-vacations-forever/
Yeah this is just conversations about it being the first SUMMER blockbuster. In fact that term is in the title of the article you linked.
You are willfully ignoring both other links entirely and the actual contents of all 3
Nope. I read them. Jaws may have been the first wide release blockbuster, but a roadshow release was very important for high-budget movies prior to that. A roadshow release doesn’t prevent a massive budget film from being a blockbuster in my opinion. You just have a pedantic, ultra-specific idea of what a blockbuster is.
Aquaman was big in the 60's. He was the fourth member of the Superfriends.
Yeah he was big relative to most other DC superheroes (not counting the Trinity of course). But that wasn't saying much.
He was seen more as a joke. Aquaman to the Super Friends was what Yamaha is to the Fighters Z.
? It was the 60's. Every hero was seen as a joke. See any given cover for Superman or Batman from that decade for evidence.
For real. Dudes just forgetting how goofy and unserious Batman 66 was.
Agreed. I followed him in 1974 and while I loved the character he was never on the same level as Robin let alone the Trinity. Superfriends put him even deeper into a box and by the late 70's early 80's it was solid that he wasn't useful for anything outside of water.
Want to see how disrespected Aquaman was read Aquaman #61 and keep in mind that this is a AQUAMAN book.
https://preview.redd.it/ot5ax3swvr8g1.jpeg?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cebc42656f9c890c0ceae0ced4ccb2b230f6238c
His fame was only because of his connection to the Justice League, but even in the League he wasn't well represented and since DC focused more on the Worlds Finest a hero who had 70% of the planet at his command was relegated to insignificant storylines in the team concept and had a very small fan base in the solo comics, and while his fame has Increased you can still see that it's taking a while as even today with him having the power of Infinite Oceans throughout the Universe as the Avatar of the Blue still puts him at the lower end of power as most still don't read his books and think he's the Aquaman of the far past.
So it really was Peter David and DCAU that made him a badass.
Peter David made the break from gentle Aquaman to the Aquaman that was all about fafo.
The book I referenced above is vastly different from anything PD wrote and Peter broke the mold and doesn't get a lot of credit. Geoff Johns is the writer who gets the lions share, but it was PD in the 90s who started it plus no one else has written more Aquaman books than the Peter Run before getting canceled.
I like Paul Levitz, David Michelinie, and Steve Skeates, but Geoff, Dan and Jeremy can all thank Peter for kicking it off.
That and just the general perception of Aquaman to the masses finally moving past the Super Friends jokes.
That probably wouldn't end well for me not because Batman and Superman stans existed then but because I'm a person of color interacting with white people in the 1960s.
Lmao likewise.
Same, they would tell me slurs while telling me that’s not possible
You made me question myself with how funny I found this 🤣
Also how crazy is it that an Eminem song created a word most people now recognize?!?
What word?
Stan = stalker fan
Also used as a verb
Ex: Batmite 'Stans' Batman -peacemaker
Same
imagine telling an 80s DC Fan that the same guy who played Aquaman is also playing Lobo
https://preview.redd.it/0c97aszl4s8g1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ccde56d6b86ecc05914268a42dce19b5062a8b44
Ironically I think that was the height of Aquaman's popularity (until the 2010s). He was in his own animated show, had his own comic series, had his own action figures and merc for the first time, was in the JLA comic series and soon would be in the Super Friends in the 70s.
So while I think they'd be surprised it made more money I don't think they'd be as surprised as folks from the 80s. The 60s folks would be more surprised that superhero movies were making a ton of money or that any movie was making a BILLION dollars
True.
On another thread there was a discussion about who owns the No. 4 spot in the DC pantheon. I personally believe that it has shifted over time, and the 60's/70's was when Aquaman occupied it. I think by the late 80's and 90's, it was Flash, it was GL in the 2000's, and it's Flash again since the 2010's, with Aquaman briefly taking over around the time of the movie.
So as an Aquaman fan I personally will always have him as the 4th Pillar. But practically? It's probably Dick Grayson. He was also a Super Friend too.
No one has appeared in more DC Comics than Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Dick Grayson (as Robin/Nightwing). Adaptations, cartoons, the comics. Regularly appearing in Batman, Detective Comics, World's Finest, the Batman Family stories, the Robin stories, Teen Titans, various team ups and more, his cartoons and film appearances also just make him one of the most recognizable characters).
But I also like the way you broke it down and as a whole I can agree with that.
When superheroes went away after the Golden Age, only 5 superheroes DC published were published continuously. Superman, Batman (and Robin), Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow (but Green Arrow actually took a break so some don't even count him). So when Aquaman got his own series and appeared for a cover for the first time in early Silver Age, it was well-earned. Historically, Aquaman, alongside the Trinity is one of the most recognizable. His outfit has gone through few revisions, while others may try to claim the Aquaman mantle, it always inevitably goes back to Arthur Curry (just like when others try to claim the Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman mantle it inevitably always goes back to the originals) because they just ARE those heroes. Robin is a mantle, Flash and Green Lantern are mantles. but if you say "Aquaman is my favorite" or "Wonder Woman is my favorite" etc. No one asks "Which one?" We all know what you mean. There's just a status those four have.
But I think your breakdown is still fair nonetheless.
Literally, while comic fans obviously put Flash and Green Lantern above Aquaman, if you ask any random person who doesn't read comics or watch DC shows, just from pop culture alone Aquaman is probably in fifth place popularity wise behind the Trinity and Robin.
I think that would certainly have been the case in the 60's and 70's, maybe even the 80's.
But in more recent decades, it's probably gonna be the Flash more often than not. Maybe Green Lantern. A cynic would say, Harley Quinn ;)
The consistent exposure Flash has had over the last 35-40 years is pretty crazy. In the comics, you've had Wally West with pretty landmark runs by major creators like Mark Waid and Grant Morrison, who's pretty much the poster-boy of the Post-Crisis DCU in many ways. In the realm of adaptations, Barry Allen has had two TV shows, the latest of which lasted 9 seasons. Wally appeared in the JLU cartoon that introduced a generation (my generation!) to the DCU. Flash has consistently been a presence in the DC animated films, headlining two of them. And he's been in the Justice League film and had his own film - regardless of their quality, it counts for something.
In contrast, over the same period, the biggest Aquaman thing that really made a splash in wider pop-culture outside of hardcore comic-book circles, is the 2018 film.
True, true, I'll give you the Flash and maybe even Harley lol, but, and I say this as a big Green Lantern fan, I do think Aquaman is more known by casuals than Green Lantern is.
These days, very likely.
No GL in the DCEU really hurt his standing.
But I'd say Flash is definitely bigger than both of them, the Aquaman movie's success notwithstanding.
I feel Robin is basically an extension of the Batman franchise, and always has been. So I hesitate to give him the fourth spot.
Still, I would say that maybe before the late 60's, Robin was No. 4.
I'd kind of break it down roughly like this in fact:
1940 - 1967: Robin
1967 - 1987: Aquaman
1987 - 2004: The Flash
2004 - 2011: Green Lantern
2011 - Present: The Flash (plus Aquaman circa 2018-19)
Basically, Robin attached though he was to Batman, was the fourth biggest character. Then in the late 60's, Aquaman got his own cartoon. Over the subsequent decade, Aquaman was a consistent presence in Superfriends, cementing his status as an evergreen DC character alongside the Trinity. Robin's star on the other hand slowly started to decline since he was no longer that indispensable to Batman, at least in the comics.
By the late 80's, with Wally taking over as the Flash after the Crisis, the Scarlet Speedster became one of DC's hottest properties, bolstered by the TV show in 1990, and some pretty landmark comic-book runs. This continued into the new millenium, with the Flash gaining more exposure thanks to the JL cartoon.
Then Geoff Johns revived Hal Jordan (literally!) and we got a period where Green Lantern became one of DC's hottest properties on the comics side. Plus, John Stewart had become a star thanks to the JL cartoon. GL got his own animated series and there was massive momentum on the franchise in the build-up to the movie in 2011.
The movie though...didn't perform as expected and the momentum was lost. In the meantime, Barry Allen returned (again, revived by Johns!) and became the centre of the DCU again thanks to Flashpoint. Shortly thereafter, the CW Flash show began. This cemented Flash as DC's biggest character outside of the Trinity, with the exception of the period around the release of the 2018 Aquaman movie, when Aquaman possibly superceded the Scarlet Speedster to take the fourth spot again.
I like the breakdown. An argument (not one I like) could be made Harley in the 2010s too though. The movies, the shows, the comics, the video games. It all exploded in this time period too.
I think she suffers from overexposure and I don't count her a hero but my goodness I'm sick of seeing her but Harley for whatever reason keeps getting shoved down our throats.
Yeah the argument (not one I like either!) could be made or Harley. But I think Harley was just one of those characters who had a temporary surge in popularity/exposure, but was never really "DC royalty".
I think Peacemaker, to a much lesser degree, is having a moment as well right now - but unless he continues to have a major part in Gunn's DCU, that'll likely fade.
I like the comparison. I hope you're right. It just seems Harley's popularity is here to stay.
Oh I'm okay with her being popular. The more the merrier, as they say!
But I would never consider her to be part of the 'DC Pantheon' alongside the likes of the Trinity, GL, Flash and Aquaman. Nor would I want DC/WB to consider her as part of it! Because what she represents just isn't part of the 'core DC brand' as I see it. Doesn't mean she can't be massively successful and rake in the moolah!
There's also the question of the extent to which Harley is a 'brand' in her own right and not just an extension of Batman. If you think about it, most popular Batman-adjacent characters are bigger household names than many DC heroes. Joker is certainly more 'popular' among general audiences than Green Lantern, for instance (and he's got the billion-dollar movie to prove it!) Granted, DC/WB is now trying to build Supergirl as the "fourth pillar" of Gunn's DCU, so their thinking on this probably differs from mine.
Why and how did Aquaman make so much money 😭😭
Probably by being one of the few, arguably two, decent movies of the DCEU.
Which is the other one in your opinion?
Imho, the first Wonder Woman movie.
Ah!
I personally regard MOS, WW and Aquaman to be the best movies of the DCEU, with MOS as my absolute favorite.
Fair enough, I personally didn't care about MoS but it's at least a competent movie, I'll give it that 😅
I dunno really.
I guess...it was the only DC movie of 2018 so DC fans flocked to it (Marvel on the other hand was at its peak).
Jason Momoa was also one of the better-liked Justice League actors and his portrayal of Aquaman had already struck a chord with audiences.
Plus, unless I'm mistaken, critics and reviewers loved the film because it was a lot like a Marvel film (even if some of them bitched about the similarities)...remember again, Marvel was at its peak.
Visually Interesting. - The bulk of Aquaman's box office was from overseas Markets. Kaiju and sea monsters and special effect movies tend to favor more international markets than only domestic. Unique worlds, and cool designs for all these kingdoms and their military etc. It made for an exciting film. It felt epic.
Good director, likable star - James Wan, as a horror director brought a distinct visual style to the film and actually made a competent, dareisay good film? People still talk about the visuals of Aquaman like the Trench Sequence in a way they don't still talk about the visuals of most of the other DCEU films (that aren't Snyder directed). Jason Momoa was also, while not a bankable star, a very likable one. I know many people (including many women) who went to see Aquaman just because of him. A friend of mine went to that as part of her bachelorette party lol.
Superhero movies were trending upward. It was pre-Covid, pre-Endgame. It was post-JOSSTICE League so ironically DC was about to trend downward, but you'd be mistaken for forgetting that given Aquaman and Joker being such huge hits the next two years (and SHAZAM! being profitable enough to make a sequel).
It was based on a pretty great story. While simplified for the movie, it was actually based on a great storyline and easy to follow for fans. It served as both an origin story for the character, so it was easy to jump on for fans and newbies, while also being a good introduction to the whole world etc.
Aquaman is kind of a popular character? I'm an Aquaman fan. I have been since I was like 4. There aren't as many of us as say Batman or Hulk but we exist. There's enough of us to constantly merit Aquaman merch from time to time and guest appearances in shows and comics. And usually he has his own comic title. So there's a pre-existing fanbase there that's loyal
I’d probably get the pitchforks because I’m black and disrespected their beloved Batman and Superman. They probably would say some ‘60s sexist comments like, “Of course Wonder Woman won’t do well! She’s a woman!” So yeah, I’d be cooked.
"What do you mean a black man was The president of the United States? Screw it, at least it's not a woman. Am I right or am I right, huh huh?" -Someone from the 60s talking with a Time traveler
Wait till you start bringing up Black Panther’s success
I’m getting lynched expeditiously
What on earth does this have to do with the topic at hand?
Reread the question, look up on 1960s history before American desegregation (the time period that I selected that made my response reasonable), then come back to the picture that I painted.
I mean it doesn't make more sense today than it would have back then. it was a completely unexpected success
The difference between the director loving and understanding the character and having a stellar hard working cast, and a director who just wants to change characters to meet their darker and edgier universe and only cares about his vision making it harder with writing only they understand.
I mean, the Aquaman we got differs greatly from his comic counterpart. I don't know if he understood the character but definitely improved upon the Snyder initial idea, that's for sure. Wan is just such a good director.
I think Momoa's Aquaman is kind of a hybrid of the 90's Aquaman by Peter David, and MCU Thor.
I still don't know how the hell Aquaman made that much money, but it's very telling that the first big screen team-up between Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman couldn't even crack a billion dollars at the absolute peak of superhero cinema's popularity. What a botched job.
Absolute peak of superhero cinema's popularity was also absolute peak of Marvel's popularity. Being like a Marvel movie was considered a positive, rather than a negative as it likely would today, by critics, and even a sizable chunk of fans.
Aquaman was like a Marvel movie. Snyder's films seemed almost anti-Marvel by definition.
Aquaman IS BETTER
https://preview.redd.it/zgyylpd3wx8g1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=2a3db1bff1fff50ab8dcb26eb87e6cb7ed5cdd3c
Imagine twlling that someone now