A Forgotten DC Movie Brought Aquaman to Live Action 29 Years Before the DCEU

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It has recently been announced that Jason Momoa is officially moving on from Aquaman but will still be returning to the realm of DC as Lobo in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Contrary to popular belief, however, he wasn’t the first person to play the character in live-action, and neither was Alan Ritchson on Smallville. As it turns out, the first live-action portrayal of Aquaman dates back to 1984. Upon hearing this revelation, fans might be wondering why they haven’t heard of this specific portrayal before. The answer is simple, unlike Christopher Reeve’s take on Superman or Michael Keaton’s take on Batman at the time, the first live-action take on Aquaman wasn’t a big-budgeted effort from Warner Bros. that was meant for the big screen, but an independent production shot by a pair of fans on a shoestring budget. Aquaman: The Cast of the Angler may not have the level of quality that people have come to expect from live-action adaptations of comic book films and shows, but it’s a fascinating piece of DC history nonetheless.

Shot and produced in 1984, the Aquaman fan film has gone largely unseen by even the most hardcore DC fans, despite its production having earned the approval of DC Comics themselves. Of course, it’s about as cheesy, dated, and cheap as one could imagine from a fan-made superhero film on a more minuscule budget. However, there’s a certain odd charm that comes from the effort that was made, and it certainly deserves more credit for being the first major attempt at trying to bring the character to live-action.

Aquaman’s Onscreen History is Smaller Than Some May Think

It Took Almost 70 Years For the Character To Reach the Big Screen in Live-Action

Despite being one of the most iconic and easily recognizable characters in the history of DC Comics, much like Wonder Woman, it took decades for Aquaman to receive his theatrical live-action film. While he’s been adapted to the screen several other times, mainly delegated to the realm of TV, even that number isn’t quite as big as some might think. Of course, many are sure to remember his animated incarnation from the Super Friends series, but it was that specific portrayal of the character that tainted his reputation for a long time, with many fans growing to see him as outdated and far too campy. It wasn’t until Justice League Unlimited, along with Alan Ritchson’s acting debut on Smallville, that the public’s perception of him began to turn. As controversial as many of his decisions in the DC Extended Universe may have been, it can’t be denied that Zack Snyder’s casting of Jason Momoa for the first live-action Justice League brought a whole new dimension to the character that was desperately needed.

In his performance, Momoa gave Arthur Curry a much more rugged action hero-type persona, which put more emphasis on his warrior-like skills and qualities rather than the regal king and diplomatic leader that he had been previously portrayed as. As of now, the future of Aquaman in the newly established DC Cinematic Universe is wide open and there is plenty of creative potential to be had with the character and whoever ends up playing him next. It took a long time for the public to accept Aquaman as a serious hero again; but before Momoa, and even before Ritchson, actor Gordon Goodman played the role in a short film that made it a little too difficult to take him seriously in any way.

With Its Quirky and Satirical Take on the Character, It Could’ve Been the Next Batman ’66

When writer and director duo Thomas Farr and Jeff Klein were film students at UCLA in 1984, for a measly budget of $10,000, they put forth their best effort into creating a 20-minute short that they hoped would become the first of many live-action Aquaman adventures. While the DCEU certainly took some liberties with Arthur Curry’s character to make him more appealing to modern audiences, Farr and Klein’s changes were a bit more drastic. Rather than inheriting his powers from his half-Atlantean heritage, the illustrated opening tells the viewers that Arthur was instead a normal boy who gradually gained his abilities while being raised by a family of dolphins who rescued him from a car accident that killed his biological parents. He’s also not portrayed as the king of Atlantis or even a lighthouse keeper, but instead as a marine biologist who hides his double life from his co-workers, similar to Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. The plot of the short is simple, but for what it is, it doesn’t need to be anything more.

The viewers are first given a brief look into the day and life of Arthur’s profession before a threat is made by the Angler (an original villain created by Farr and Klein), who threatens to unleash a deadly toxin into the Pacific Ocean. Arthur soon dons his Aquaman suit and takes down a group of minions, but the short ends on a cliffhanger before he’s able to put a stop to the Angler’s evil plan. Despite its amateur production, given the period and how it was a student-made project, there’s something oddly lovable about the way it’s all put together. As much as it deviates from the lore of the comics, it makes for some rather funny moments; whether it be the Angler’s medical dependency on eating bananas or Arthur eating fish food talking to the sea creatures in the lab. Not only is there some impressive underwater cinematography, but it also carries the sort of self-satirizing humor that the 1966 Adam West Batman series, as well the aesthetic visual charm of old action shows like The Six Million Dollar Man.

The Aquaman Fan Film Could’ve Led to a Bigger Success But Failed

Studios Expressed Interest, But Never Followed Through

Some may be surprised to learn that Farr and Klein were given full permission by DC Comics to make use of the character, as intellectual property rights weren’t as legally sacred as they are today. Because of this, it gave the short a sense of legitimacy that made it all the easier for the short to grab the attention of Hollywood executives. According to information that Farr provided in the description of the full short when posted on YouTube (which can be seen above), both he and Klein were approached by a few network studios who thought that it had the potential to become a full-fledged television series. Unfortunately, however, they were never kept informed about any further development and their anticipation soon turned into disappointment.

As entertaining as Aquaman: The Cast of the Angler is a buried piece of DC Comics history, perhaps it’s for the best that it never did become anything more than that, as its satirical embracement of the character’s sillier side probably would have gotten in the way of how the DCAU handled him and eventually give and help pave the way for Momoa’s portrayal and what James Wan did for the DCEU. Even though it may not have launched Farr and Klein’s careers as far as a full series no doubt would have, they certainly deserve more credit for making the first bold move of bringing Aquaman to life in live-action.

“}]] Before Jason Momoa and James Wan, two film students in the 80s were the first to bring Aquaman to life with what they hoped would be a big TV pilot.  Read More