The name Jason Momoa will likely forever be synonymous with the DC superhero Aquaman, who will soon return for his second solo film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Momoa's tough-guy persona and Native Hawaiian background made him an ideal candidate for a more 'badass' and likable Aquaman, and as you can see with this talented cosplayer, Momoa's look has become the defining live-action version of the character.
The cosplayer, who goes by the username BillyD275th, posted these images on their personal Reddit. The photos are taken by professional photographer Lance Allen Reis, who you can find on Instagram @kickassdesigns. As you can see, this is an incredibly faithful rendition of the costume worn by Momoa in the DCEU. Not only has BillyD275th remade the golden armor worn by the character in 2018's Aquaman, but he's also made a second costume featuring the character's aquatic tattoos. This looks like it took a long time to make, and it shows impressive attention to detail and love for the craft. You can see more of BillyD275th's cosplay on Reddit or Instagram, and you can check out Lance Allen Reis' cosplay photography on Instagram or on their professional website.
It almost seems strange now, but the idea of an Aquaman movie was a joke for a long time in Hollywood. So much so that even HBO's Entourage had a whole plotline where fictional celebrity Vicent Chase (Adrian Grenier) was cast in an Aquaman movie directed by James Cameron, probably under the assumption that this would never happen in real life. However, in 2014, Momoa was cast as Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Aquaman, in director Zack Snyder's second DCEU film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Momoa had a very small part in that film, but it did mark the live-action debut for the character. Momoa reprised the role in the 2017 theatrical release of Justice League. Despite the film's generally poor reception and muddled production, Momoa's performance and appearance as Aquaman were pretty well received.
This eventually led to Momoa starring in his own solo film directed by James Wan, the filmmaker behind horror movies The Conjuring and Insidious. As a horror movie director, Wan might have seemed like an odd choice for the film, but he managed to make a pretty impressive epic superhero film about Aquaman, something no one thought possible only a few years prior. While the DCEU has been critically all over the place, most people seem to agree that 2018's Aquaman was way better than anyone expected. The film gave Momoa more time to shine as the Atlantean prince turned superhero, and solidified his place in the DCEU.
Since Aquaman always felt like a silly character to audiences, Momoa, along with Snyder and Wan, portrayed him as more of a rogue badass, something more akin to an outlaw biker of the sea rather than a blonde pretty boy. This in large part was also a success due to Momoa's charisma and dedication to his Hawaiian ancestry, which added to the character's overall aesthetic and authenticity. Not to mention that he's also ridiculously attractive.
Right now the DCEU is being restructured by Warner Bros. Henry Cavill is likely out as a Superman and it seems unlikely that Ben Affleck will return as Batman. However, Momoa is one of the DCEU actors along with Gal Gadot and Ezra Miller to be reprising their role in an upcoming project, including a second Aquaman movie directed by Wan.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will premiere in theatres on December 16th, 2022.
Source: BillyD275th | Reddit