Before James Wan's Aquaman hit theatres, the main character had developed a bit of a reputation among comic book fans, who frequently made fun of and mocked his superhuman skills. Of course, when the aquatic epic went on to become the most successful DC Comics adaptation ever, everything quickly changed.
There are many people out there who are still unwilling to put Aquaman on the same pedestal as the likes of the Trinity and the Clown Prince of Crime, despite the fact that Jason Momoa's feature-length debut as Arthur Curry brought in more money than any film featuring Batman, Superman, the Joker, Wonder Woman, or any other of the expansive universe's heavy hitters.
A recent tweet from journalist Erik Davis referring to the Dark Knight, Man of Steel, Diana Prince, and the King of Atlantis as the franchise's "core four" has sparked a surprising amount of controversy despite the fact that the proof is there in plain sight in the form of cold, hard cash.
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It's reasonable to acknowledge that Aquaman hasn't had the same overall impact on pop culture as the other three over the years, but it's illogical to argue that a superhero who starred in a $1.148 billion global hit shouldn't be compared to Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman.
The aforementioned trio have only succeeded in doing so twice in all of their large budget productions combined, and Aquaman is still the only entry in the DCEU canon to surpass the ten-figure mark.