James Gunn Confirms Aquaman’s Status in the DCU – “You Can Cut Out Aquaman F–ing Fish”
James Gunn has cleared up one of the lingering questions fans have had about the new DCU, like what’s the deal with Aquaman? During a recent discussion on Peacemaker: The Official Podcast, the Superman director and DC Studios co-CEO revealed where Arthur Curry stands in his rebooted universe, and let’s just say things aren’t looking great for the King of Atlantis.
Jason Momoa first made his debut as Aquaman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice back in 2016, before taking on a larger role in 2017’s Justice League. Despite that film’s rocky reception, Momoa’s solo outing in 2018’s Aquaman was a massive success, hauling in $1.1 billion worldwide.
Unfortunately, the tides turned with the sequel. Released in 2023 as the final film of the DCEU, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom pulled in only $440 million globally, which was a sharp decline that cemented the franchise’s uncertain future.
For those wondering what might have been, the DCEU had big potential storylines ahead, including a possible Flashpoint adaptation that would have pitted Atlantis against Themyscira and likely set up Crisis on Infinite Earths. Instead, the old continuity has been scrapped for Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe.
So where does that leave Aquaman now? According to Gunn, the character’s celebrity status in the DCU doesn’t really exist.
“It’s unlikely that Aquaman is a famous hero in the DCU as Superman and Peacemaker season 2 are happening. That’s unlikely,” Gunn confirmed. He even joked that fans could create their own revised version of Peacemaker season 1 to fit the new canon: “You can cut out Aquaman f***ing fish.”
This is a reference to the running joke in Peacemaker where Christopher Smith constantly claimed Aquaman had an intimate relationship with sea life. The Season 1 finale paid off the gag with a surprise cameo from Momoa alongside Ezra Miller’s Flash, where Aquaman flat-out denied the accusation. While that scene was hilarious, Gunn made it clear it’s no longer canon under the DCU.
As for when we’ll see Aquaman again, Gunn has said it won’t be anytime soon.