Maybe Aquaman Isn't In Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice After All?

Listen, Jason Momoa. We understand that there has to be some give-and-take in this ongoing "is-he-or-isn’t-he" scenario we’re all playing out. The world thinks you are Aquaman… or involved in a DC Comics movie in some mysterious role. The rumor mill has connected you to Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, though no one has said anything on the record. And yet, you are asked. And you kind of answer. But sooner or later, we’re going to need a confirmation -- any confirmation – before all of us (yourself, included) go insane.

Jason Momoa was conducting another interview on behalf of his passion project, Road to Paloma, this time with Entertainment Weekly. And at the end of the conversation, the mag lobbed a question about Aquaman. As you do. To which Momoa coyly replied:

Well, I’m really excited for it [Batman v. Superman] to come out in 2016, I’ll tell you that much. I’m really excited to see what is happening in that world."

Aren’t we all? The quote reiterates what we thought we knew, but also has us exploring new options. Yes, Jason Momoa is "excited" to find out what happens in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel follow up And yes, we believe that he’s tied to a part that eventually could lead to him playing Aquaman. And YES, we know that Snyder so passionately believes in the potential of Aquaman that he’s willing to call in to a Detroit sports talk radio station and defend the underwater savior.

But what if Aquaman isn’t in Batman v Superman? And what if Jason Momoa is trying to tell us this?

Let’s think outside the box. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson dropped 9 million hints that he was going to be in a planned Shazam movie. We all thought it would be confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con, where The Rock was in town to promote Hercules (as only the Rock can). Only the deal couldn’t be finalized in time to make a proper announcement. So Johnson took to Twitter… but even that hint couldn’t clear up whether Rock was playing Shazam or Black Adam. Only recently did we finally learn Rock’s true role.

But that tells me the parts behind the scenes at DC/Warner are constantly moving. And maybe Momoa’s role in Batman v Superman has changed. The movie is busy shooting. We’ve seen Henry Cavill taking an ice bucket challenge, Ben Affleck running down a street, and Scoot McNairy wearing green socks. But no Momoa. We know that writers have been hired for a separate Aquaman movie. Maybe Jason Momoa is waiting to see what happens in 2016 because it will dictate what he does – eventually. For now, no confirmation. But no clear denial. The Aquaman rumors continue to tread water.

Sean O'Connell
Managing Editor

Sean O’Connell is a journalist and CinemaBlend’s Managing Editor. Having been with the site since 2011, Sean interviewed myriad directors, actors and producers, and created ReelBlend, which he proudly cohosts with Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy. And he's the author of RELEASE THE SNYDER CUT, the Spider-Man history book WITH GREAT POWER, and an upcoming book about Bruce Willis.