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Should Aquaman be Polynesian?

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Johndoey

Banned
Yeah, but imo it's offensive using minorities as a marketing gimmick like this. Just spend the money and creative effort towards making an original Polynesian superhero instead of having B-tier white superheroes wear minority costumes.

Since when is Aquaman B tier? Also reinvention especially when moving to different forms of media is what comics survive on. They don't seem to be making a big deal of the casting decision so I don't get the gimmick comment. Being Caucasian and American isn't vital to Aquaman so this works perfectly. Its a case by case thing with superheros.
 
I'm glad since this means Manu Bennet can play Ocean Master
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Don't they just look like brothers
 

Frog-fu

Banned
Why would he be Polynesian? Isn't he from a separate culture? I have no problem with a Polynesian interpretation but a unique culture seems to make more sense to me.

That's more or less what I'm getting at. Though it would certainly make more sense if his human half was Polynesian and if the Atlantean culture was borrowed from it.

Yeah, but imo it's offensive using minorities as a marketing gimmick like this. Just spend the money and creative effort towards making an original Polynesian superhero instead of having B-tier white superheroes wear minority costumes.

It's only a gimmick if WB tears it like one. If they treat Polynesian culture with respect it won't be.
 

Dahbomb

Member
Should be, yes. Aquaman being white was always weird and just part of institutional history. 1940s was when it was 90% white in USA and before civil rights, so there was no fight for minority representation. Either way, pacific islanders make more sense for the character than this comic version who looks like a fucking joke.
aquamaniswhite.jpg
Dat pinky hold. Dapper as fuck.
 
Polynesians are one of many great mariner traditions. It fits perfectly well but not any better than other sea faring cultures of the past.
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Well the blonde hair is part of his origin, but that could be replaced with something else if they even want to go in that direction.

Polynesians are one of many great mariner traditions. It fits perfectly well but not any better than other sea faring cultures of the past.

Exactly, it looks like awesome casting and a good fit for a modern cinema Aquaman.
 
Polynesians are one of many great mariner traditions. It fits perfectly well but not any better than other sea faring cultures of the past.
That's actually a good point. There are lots of examples of peoples of all races with mariner cultures. I think, though, that the specifically island nature of Polynesian culture makes it a great fit for Atlantis.
 
Should get rid of that dumb Poseidon trident and replace it with a badass Polynesian shark tooth sword.
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic, but that sounds like a really terrible idea.

Momoa is a beast, he's going to change the perception of lame Aquaman that a lot of people have. The man is a beast.
 

shoreu

Member
Anything to make him less boring.

He's not boring do you read his comics?


Also this is a comic book movie In comic books there are an infinite number of universes, so any character can be any race or gender as they all exist in separate dimensions.

Should get rid of that dumb Poseidon trident and replace it with a badass Polynesian shark tooth sword.

That trident can kill supes. But i think he might have a sword two i can't remember.
 
I really hope they don't change the comics to match the movies ore closely though.

I'm sure extraordinarily popular elements will make it into comics, like burton's batsuit did. They did try to make arrow like the tv show and it failed pretty badly, so they've backed off on that sort of thing. I'd wager a big push behind new 52 was streamlining the DCU for movies.
 

Slayven

Member
I'm sure extraordinarily popular elements will make it into comics, like burton's batsuit did. They did try to make arrow like the tv show and it failed pretty badly, so they've backed off on that sort of thing. I'd wager a big push behind new 52 was streamlining the DCU for movies.

Stupid move, goes totally against what Ollie is about.
 

Johndoey

Banned
I'm sure extraordinarily popular elements will make it into comics, like burton's batsuit did. They did try to make arrow like the tv show and it failed pretty badly, so they've backed off on that sort of thing. I'd wager a big push behind new 52 was streamlining the DCU for movies.

In the Green Arrow comics did they try to just make him bow Batman again? I keep watching Arrow hoping eventually i'll get fun witty Oliver.
 

Slayven

Member
He's not boring do you read his comics?


Also this is a comic book movie In comic books there are an infinite number of universes, so any character can be any race or gender as they all exist in separate dimensions.



That trident can kill supes. But i think he might have a sword two i can't remember.

An incarnation of him used a sword for a hot minute

 

Slayven

Member
Everything about this looks awful.
Tridents are super cool
Who would think a pitch that started with "Lets turn OG Aquaman into Cthulhu, then have another guy that looks just like him with the same exact name take his place" might not be good?

UbEkhaM.jpg
 

ReiGun

Member
Should he be? Sure. It makes perfect sense for the character to be of a culture with strong ties to the water.

Current rumors say Mera will also be non-white. I'm guessing she will be Polynesian as well, but I wonder if there are other seafaring peoples she could come from. Obviously, I'm the typical ignorant American on this, so I'll read up on it.
 

XAL

Member
It's perfectly OK to race/gender swap characters that are completely stagnant or need a massive rework. Or characters that are so irrelevant that anything would be better than more of the same.

I fully support islanders as the new aqua race.
 

Faddy

Banned
Can someone tell me why he needs to be blonde? Is he a former Aryian Supersoldier? I really can't think of many origins that require a certain hair colour.
 

shoreu

Member
His new 52 comics are pretty good, This over-arching story line he's been having has been really good.

Can someone tell me why he needs to be blonde? Is he a former Aryian Supersoldier? I really can't think of many origins that require a certain hair colour.

He doesn't have to be blonde some people just don't know how comic universes work, some just don't like the changes, and some can just be racist (See some* Some! not all of the wally west new 52 reactions) even though wally's change was random as hell but i'm not gonna complain. I do absolutely hate bat girls change and i refuse to read her books.
 

Johndoey

Banned
Who would think a pitch that started with "Lets turn OG Aquaman into Cthulhu, then have another guy that looks just like him with the same exact name take his place" might not be good?

UbEkhaM.jpg

Fuck I blocked this from my memory. As least the design is alright.

For some reason this reminds me Dick Grayson was obviously the better Batman.


Aquaman the character is hella boring.

He just lucks out to more often tahn not have a god tier supporting cast,


He is the male Wonder Woman in that respect

If I have to put up with the slightly dull but still perfectly fine Aquaman to get Mera who is GOAT tier its an alright trade off.
 
So you going to race swap a Native american for a Maori? Sounds like hustling backwards.

Ocean Master is Native American(Inupiat)

Seriously do people not read the source?

In the New 52, Orm is pure Atlantean. Maybe YOU should read the comics my man. if you gotta problem with that, take it up with DC.

And following source material has never been the requirement to make a great movie.
 

Slayven

Member
Can someone tell me why he needs to be blonde? Is he a former Aryian Supersoldier? I really can't think of many origins that require a certain hair colour.
Being born blonde in Atlantis is a major sign of being cursed and you will bring about bad things.

The last blond Atlantian tried to eat the entire population

4249422-jla+%2372+pg02.jpg


In the New 52, Orm is pure Atlantean. Maybe YOU should read the comics my man.

And following source material has never been the requirement to make a great movie.

It's DC give them five minutes
 

Frog-fu

Banned
Being born blonde in Atlantis is a major sign of being cursed and you will bring about bad things.

The last blond Atlantian tried to eat the entire population

4249422-jla+%2372+pg02.jpg

That's not much of an excuse not to change Aquaman though. They could easily replace blond hair with any number of other signs. Colour of his eyes, birthmark, event at birth etc. Pretty much whatever they want.
 
Going with a Polynesian influence for Aquaman seems like an attempt to make use of the subconscious connection the general public have with regard to that culture and the sea.

It certainly doesn't seem like an intentional attempt to be more diverse for diversity's sake.
 

Slayven

Member
That's not much of an excuse not to change Aquaman though. They could easily replace blond hair with any number of other signs. Colour of his eyes, birthmark, etc. Pretty much whatever they'd want.
Yeah they could, not that i ahve a dog in the fight
Going with a Polynesian influence for Aquaman seems like an attempt to make use of the subconscious connection the general public have with regard to that culture and the sea.

It certainly doesn't seem like an intentional attempt to be more diverse for diversity's sake.

It is like the "Ironfist does kung fu so he must be asian" thing.
 

ReiGun

Member
If anything, the Atlanteans being of Polynesian descent would make Arthur's blond hair even more offputting to them.

Aquaman the character is hella boring.

He just lucks out to more often tahn not have a god tier supporting cast,


He is the male Wonder Woman in that respect
It pains me to say this because you know Diana is my girl, but....

she wishes her supporting cast was as good as Arthur's. Sure, I'm down for Donna and Cassie and Hippolyta, but the rest of her crew is so damn neglected they may as well not exist.
 

Cyan

Banned
Can someone tell me why he needs to be blonde? Is he a former Aryian Supersoldier? I really can't think of many origins that require a certain hair colour.

Per the DC wiki, after one or the other of the crisis reboots they made it so his blond hair is how his mom's husband knew he was being cheated on, which is why he was left out to die and got raised by dolphins or whatever.

Edit: Or yeah, what gaf's only Aquaman fan said above.
 

shoreu

Member
Per the DC wiki, after one or the other of the crisis reboots they made it so his blond hair is how his mom's husband knew he was being cheated on, which is why he was left out to die and got raised by dolphins or whatever.

Edit: Or yeah, what gaf's only Aquaman fan said above.

Hey there's at least 2 of us XD
 
Going with a Polynesian influence for Aquaman seems like an attempt to make use of the subconscious connection the general public have with regard to that culture and the sea.

It certainly doesn't seem like an intentional attempt to be more diverse for diversity's sake.
That's a much better argument for it than just diversity for diversity sake. It's really how it should be: this guy lives in the desert? Let's model him after people's who live in deserts. It makes sense.
 

Slayven

Member
If anything, the Atlanteans being of Polynesian descent would make Arthur's blond hair even more offputting to them.


It pains me to say this because you know Diana is my girl, but....

she wishes her supporting cast was as good as Arthur's. Sure, I'm down for Donna and Cassie and Hippolyta, but the rest of her crew is so damn neglected they may as well not exist.
There is Artemis........and I got nothing

But I just remembered that King Shark was a member of Superboy's squad for the minute
5OgAlPN.jpg
 
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