SPOILER ALERT: This article contains artwork and information that may be considered SPOILERS for ‘Aquaman’ so proceed with caution.
About a month ago, Warner Brothers unveiled concept art from ‘Aquaman’ depicting the armies of Atlantis preparing for war. On one side, Orm’s (Patrick Wilson) fleet of shark riders were lined up, against King Nerus’ (Dolph Lundgren) troops who were mounted on director James Wan‘s answer to the giant seahorses that Aquaman and his allies rode around on in the comics and cartoons. The difference is that Wan upgraded them to savage sea DRAGONS. (Not the fire-breathing kind, unfortunately.)
The first bit of concept art was a large panorama so the soldiers and their steeds were just a tiny part of a larger image. But now Warner Brothers has released a closer look at one of these sea dragons to Entertainment Weekly.
While the seahorse base is clearly evident in the beast’s basic design, unlike a seahorse, this creature has reptilian hind legs which look like they could really do some damage. And the armor looks like it could really take a hit.
Producer Peter Safran described the sea dragons, saying:
“The idea was to turn on its head the idea of Aquaman riding a seahorse, take something for which he was mocked and turn it into something terrifying and impressive. He’s a Xebellian creature but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Arthur (Jason Momoa) on one at some point…”
Well, there’s one scene to look forward to! And it sounds like a fun tip of the cap to the classic cartoons.
In the comics, Xebel, ruled by King Nerus, is actually in another dimension, but it has been revealed that in the movie, it will be reinterpreted as one of the seven sunken kingdoms of Atlantis. One thing that will remain the same is that Mera (Amber Heard) is Nerus’ daughter, but that means that since Xebel is part of Atlantis in the film, that puts her in line for the throne of Atlantis. Unlike other Atlanteans, those from Xebel can manipulate water, something that was previewed in ‘Justice League’.
‘Aquaman’ opens on December 21, but expect more information to emerge this weekend during San Diego Comic-Con. The first trailer for ‘Aquaman’ will be unleashed on Saturday!
