To the surprise of many, Aquaman is fast becoming one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2018 and one of the biggest draws at San Diego Comic Con as it gives fans a look at many of the characters for the first time. The upcoming film by James Wan is embracing its comic book roots and not shying away from the sillier elements of the classic concept. Ironically, this has caused many a casual comics reader, who wouldn’t have looked sideways at an Aquaman comic book in the past, to appreciate what Aqua-fans have known for years - there is more to Arthur Curry than just “talking to fish.”

As with the ocean itself, there are more hidden depths to the story of Aquaman than is apparent by merely skimming the surface. The original comic book series boasts one of the most well-developed and varied mythologies in history, drawing off of elements of Arthurian Legend and the Lovecraftian Mythos in developing an Atlantis worthy of all the legends involving the lost city. Indeed, the current Aquaman Rebirth series has drawn favorable comparisons to Game of Thrones, boasting a storyline centering around feuding families and epic battles, as supernatural forces threaten to destroy their world while the nobles engage in petty power struggles.

With that in mind, here is a cheat-sheet discussing The Seven Kingdoms, the heroes and villains of the movie and how drastically they have been changed from the original comic books.

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Atlantis and the Seven Kingdoms Explained

The Seven Kingdoms - Given that two-thirds of the action of Aquaman is set underwater, the undersea kingdoms are practically characters unto themselves. The plot of the movie will focus upon an effort to unite seven separate undersea kingdoms. These were listed in an interview with James Wan as Atlantis, The Trench, Xebel, The Brine, The Fisherman Kingdom, The Missing Kingdom, and an unknown seventh kingdom. This marks a drastic change from the current reality of DC Comics (the so-called New 52 Earth) where mention was made of Atlantis having been divided into seven areas when it sank and only three surviving the destruction of the original island. These areas became known as Atlantis, Xebel and The Trench.

Atlantis - The largest and mightiest of the undersea kingdoms in the comics, we know very little about Atlantis itself in the world of the Aquaman film, though what has been revealed suggests it is precisely modeled upon its comic book counterpart. Once the cradle of human civilization in ancient times, the city fell beneath the waves at the command of Atlan, a mighty mage who was considered to be the finest king Atlantis had ever known. This occurred after Atlan’s brother, Orin, staged a coup against him and Atlan responded to the murder of his wife and children by sinking the kingdom rather than let it fall into Orin’s hands. The plot of the Aquaman movie will involve the search for one of Atlan’s artifacts -  a magical trident.

Xebel - In the comics, the kingdom of Xebel is to Atlantis what Australia is to England. A former prison colony for a group of rebel Atlanteans contained within another dimension sealed within The Bermuda Triangle, it is all but impossible for those trapped within its boundaries to escape it. Despite this, Xebel has developed its own warrior-based culture, with trials by combat used to settle legal disputes and the right to rule determined by fights to the death. What little we’ve learned of Xebel in Aquaman suggests that that the other-worldly aspect has been forgotten, but that the long grudge between the citizens of Xebel and Atlantis will remain.

Page 2 of 2: The Heroes and Villains of Aquaman

The Heroes

Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman - Despite his appearance resembling the 1990’s “pirate Aquaman” with long hair and a beard, Momoa’s portrayal of Aquaman is largely based upon the classic character from the comics. It has been confirmed that he will have the power to control sea creatures and that he will appear in the original costume before the end of the film. Beyond that, the movie will serve as an origin story as Arthur Curry undergoes the journey from half-human outcast to the King of Atlantis, becoming the hero most people are familiar with.

Amber Heard as Mera - In the original comics, Mera was a warrior princess of Xebel, raised to assassinate the ruler of Atlantis and enable her family to take control of the undersea realm. Unexpectedly, she wound up falling in love with the the heir to the throne, Arthur Curry, and would turn against the family that saw her only as a tool for revenge. While Amber Heard’s Mera looks like she just stepped out of the pages of a comic book, her relationship with Arthur Curry in the movie will be a partnership of equals and not harbor any hint of romance just yet. This will mirror the long courtship the two enjoyed in the comics, though it is unknown if Mera’s original role as an assassin will be a factor in the film.

Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko - Surprisingly little has been confirmed about Willem Dafoe’s role as Vulko in Aquaman, despite his originally having been planned to have a part in Justice League. In the classic Aquaman comics, Vulko was a former science adviser of the royal family who informed a young Arthur Curry of his birthright when the two were imprisoned together. When Arthur Curry claimed his throne, he elevated Vulko to the post of his chief adviser. The New 52 revamp changed Vulko into a darker personality and a career politician/lore-master rather than a scientist. He was also changed into a political exile from Atlantean society rather than a political prisoner, though he still informed a young Arthur Curry of his status as the eldest son of the Queen of Atlantis.

Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna - The Queen of Atlantis and Arthur Curry’s mother, little has been said about Nicole Kidman’s role in Aquaman beyond that fact that she is a warrior and “not a mermaid.” In the original comics, Atlanna was a more traditional princess, who fell in love with a humble lighthouse keeper whom she saw risking his life to save the victims of a sinking ship. She intended to abandon her crown to be with him, but she was imprisoned by the royal family and only managed to escape just long enough to give birth to her first son, Arthur, and deliver him to his father. She would later be forcibly married to the commander of the Atlantean Navy, and give birth to two more children - a son named Orm and a daughter named Tula.

Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry - Aquaman’s father will be brought to life on the big screen by Temeura Morrison, most famous for playing the role of Jango Fett in the Star Wars saga. Little has been said about Thomas Curry in the original comics, beyond how he was a noble soul who risked his life to help others as a lighthouse keeper. His bravery won him the heart of an undersea princess and led to him setting a strong example for his son, who would grow to follow his father’s example as a man of compassion who used his talents to help others. His violent death at the hands of Black Manta would also go on to fuel the life-long rivalry between the mercenary and the future King of Atlantis.

The Villains

Patrick Wilson as Orm/Ocean Master - The second son of Queen Atlanna and current King of Atlantis, Orm originally tried to maintain a friendly relationship with his elder half-brother, who renounced the crown of Atlantis in his favor in the reality of The New 52. Any chance of peace between the two brothers died, however, when the paranoid Orm declared war on the surface world and used the magic of Atlantis to lay waste to numerous coastal communities during the Throne of Atlantis storyline. Everything revealed about Patrick Wilson’s portrayal of Orm to date seems to have been taken directly from the comics and this storyline.

Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus - Strangely enough, King Nereus is the character who has been changed the most from his comic book counterpart for the Aquaman movie. In the film, King Nereus rules the land of Xebel and is the father of Mera. In the original comics, Mera’s father was named King Ryus and Nereus was one of Xebel’s strongest warriors, who later assumed the throne of Xebel after being betrothed to Mera before she left on her mission to assassinate the royal family of Atlantis. Dolph Lundgren has indicated that his character’s main concern will be seeing to the needs of his people, as Mera and Arthur try to persuade King Nereus to join the effort to maintain the peace between the ocean kingdoms and the surface world.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Kane/Black Manta - Apart from his name being changed from David Hyde to David Kane, very little seems to have been changed about Black Manta in his transition from the comics to the silver screen. In fact, the first photos of his costume indicate a level of accuracy to the character’s portrayal that is almost frightening. Little has been said about the precise role that Black Manta will play in the movie’s plot beyond his not being the main villain. It is guessed, however, that the presence of actor Michael Beach as a character named Jesse Kane on the movie’s cast list indicates that the movie will show how the rivalry between Aquaman and Black Manta started, with the hero and the villain having killed one another’s fathers.

More: Aquaman: Every Update You Need To Know

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