Warner Bros has already endured its share of turbulent waters during their maiden voyage into the world of interconnected superhero filmmaking. Their shaky, yet profitable, releases of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, left as many questions as they answered. However, with a full slate of movies still on the way, there isn’t much room left for further missteps. Wonder Woman is currently riding a wave of goodwill leading into her solo film next summer, while most are giving Justice League another chance after a successful Comic Con trailer.

However, The Flash has had an even rougher time, as Warner Bros has lost yet another director for the project. So with Aquaman in the midst of pre-production, it’s understandable that tensions are running high for fans who are expecting the unexpected. The movie is set to be the third solo film in the DCEU and has the potential to explore the underwater city of Atlantis in ways that have never been seen before in live-action. Director James Wan has been tapped by WB to helm Aquaman and since the moment of his hiring, imaginations have been running wild when considering his taste for horror and kinetic camera work unleashed in the deep sea.

Now, the director took to Instagram and posted a picture of a location he’s scouting for an upcoming movie in Australia. The still features the port of an unknown dock. The sky is overcast with a thick layer of marine fog which perfectly complements the dreary bay. Wan explains in his post: “If casting is half of your directing, then location is half your photography.” His quote is long-held truth in Hollywood and also speaks to his pleasure with the resources at his disposal. Take a look at the photo:

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If casting is half of your directing, then location is half your photography. #happysnap A photo posted by James Wan (@creepypuppet) on Nov 17, 2016 at 7:27pm PST

Due to the expansive nature of the DCEU, BvS director Zack Snyder has already cast the primary members of the Justice League, including Ezra Miller as the Flash and Jason Momoa as Aquaman/Arthur Curry. Consequently Wan wasn’t able to cast the Aquaman lead himself, however judging from the tone of his quote, he’s very happy with both the location scouting and his future King of Atlantis.

In the comics, Aquaman hails from a port town known as Amnesty Bay. He was raised by his father, Tom, who runs a lighthouse in the small coastal town which goes on to serve as Arthur’s strongest connection to mankind. Once Curry discovers his underwater birthright, Atlantis becomes a representation of royal heritage, while Amnesty Bay is what keeps him grounded to his humanity.

In the trailer for Justice League, Bruce Wayne is in search of Aquaman in a small, foggy fishing town. It seems that Curry has been helping the community by delivering fish “on the king tide” to needy locals. It would be logical that’s where we would be introduced to the underwater hero, while his background and home life can be explored in the upcoming solo film. Judging by Wan’s enthusiasm over the shooting location of Aquaman, there’s reason to get excited for what he has up his sleeves and for the future of the underwater hero.

Source: Instagram/James Wan

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