DCEU: All 16 DC Extended Universe films ranked from worst to best (including Aquaman 2)

10. Aquaman

Even with the star-power of Jason Momoa fronting it, nobody expected Aquaman to experience the earth-shattering success that it did. The film’s release followed the box office disappointment that was Justice League (which even included Momoa’s Aquaman as one of the main characters), so what on Earth would make everyone venture out to see Arthur Curry’s maiden voyage, right? Wrong.

Well, there are a number of things that factor into Aquaman’s success, and one of them is the overall production. The film had a unique advantage in the fact that it was set in the underwater kingdom of Atlantis – something that automatically set it apart from every other DCEU film and ultimately portrayed it as more of a fantasy adventure than a superhero movie.

That’s exactly what Aquaman was: A big-budget adventure that was both aesthetically-pleasing and emotionally engaging. Was it the strongest DC Comics story ever told? No, but anything that doesn’t come off quite as well is automatically elevated by the film’s great cast. And speaking of cast, Momoa does a fantastic job reinvigorating Arthur Curry – making him both a strong protagonist and a badass hero.

There was once a time when people laughed at Aquaman, claiming that “his powers were silly” or because he “talked to fish”. Well, it’s safe to say that nobody was laughing when this one came out… other than Aquaman himself… all the way to the bank with his $1.1. billion.