Warning: minor SPOILERS for Aquaman
DC Comic fans have always known that Mera is more powerful than Aquaman when it comes to her control of water, but the movie makes the point as clear as possible. And it does it in a single scene, blowing two decades of ‘broken’ female superhero stereotypes… well, out of the water.
For fans keeping track, it’s even fair to say that until Arthur Curry retrieves the Trident of King Atlan, the real ‘superhero’ of the Aquaman movie is Mera, and not Jason Momoa’s Justice League-er. It’s Mera’s power of bending water that saves the day time after time, but there is one scene in particular that Mera fans are going to be talking about for years to come. Because not every movie superhero can turn wine into a deadly weapon.
Screen Rant had the opportunity to speak with Aquaman director James Wan about that very scene, used to punctuate an extended chase sequence through Sicily. As Arthur does battle with Black Manta and his Atlantean eye-blasts, Mera is pursued by King Orm’s elite guards. A few are dismantled along the way, before Mera ends up cornered in a wine cellar. But just when she seems out of options, she takes her power to another level…
The movie goes from a massive scale to a scene the size of a wine cellar. The moment that ends the chase sequence in the middle of the film with Mera unleashing her power… it’s an unforgettable moment. Where did that idea come from?
The sequence will be more familiar to horror fans than superhero movie buffs, with only Jean Grey of the X-Men movies reaching as far into the realm of telekinetic terror. Rattling the bottles and corks surrounding her, Mera summons all of the wine (her powers work on water-based substances, as well), concentrates it into meter-long spears, and propels them into the Atlantean guards before her. The best part? This massive, world-shaking heightening of her powers results in… absolutely no physical toll on her, at all.
Yeah, that was just something I cooked up! I felt like– it’s a chase sequence through the rooftops of Italy, but I knew I wanted to get to a point where we got to showcase Mera’s powers. To have her back be literally up against a wall, but it just so happens that the wall she is up against is bottles and bottles of liquid that she can harness, and use to her advantage. I thought, ‘That’s the kind of stuff that would make for an iconic image,’ and be a really nice way to finish her part of the action scene in that world.
No bleeding nose, no fainting, and no indication that using her powers to such an extreme degree has ‘drained’ them for an uncertain period of time. In fact, the next scene shows her using them to fight off the Trench just as effectively as she has in the past. In other words, Mera’s use of such an otherworldly, and psychic ability delivers all the fun - but none of the drawbacks, damage, or ‘hysteria’ superhero fans are used to seeing when it’s a female character using it.
After all, Jean Grey’s powers are too dangerous for her to control, Scarlet Witch’s were born of cruel experiments, and even DC’s Raven is a weapon of world domination. But Mera? Mera is just awesomely powerful, and even deadlier when she’s cornered.
Stay tuned to Screen Rant for more from our interviews with Aquaman’s director and cast.
MORE: Aquaman Interview with Amber Heard
- Aquaman Release Date: 2018-12-21
