Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Special #1
As two of DC’s most stalwart heroes, Aquaman and Wonder Woman have a long and storied relationship. As warrior diplomats and has members of the Justice League, Diana and Arthur have a lot in common, but they aren’t always on the same page. With a new Aquaman film splashing into theaters soon, an intriguing prequel comic has given fans a better idea of the ongoing relationship between the DCEU’s Amazon and Atlantean duo – only it’s far too late to matter.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Special #1 by Tim Seeley, Miguel Mendonca, Andrew Dalhouse, and Wes Abbott finds the king of Atlantis teaming up with both Wonder Woman and the Flash to save the attendees at the Wayne Foundation Science and Technology Conference from a group of terrorist mercenaries. Leaping into the fray, Arthur tells Diana to clear out the bystanders, to which she replies, “And you’ll take on the mercenaries? I’m every bit the warrior you are, you know.”
Aquaman cedes the point, reasoning that she’s also a better ambassador than him, making her more suited to clearing out the innocents at risk. While their battle plan ultimately succeeds, Wonder Woman’s initial umbrage with Arthur’s strategy sheds new light onto the duo’s DCEU dynamic as the divisive cinematic universe nears its end.
Wonder Woman and Aquaman Have Complicated History
While this may seem like a brief retort from Diana to put Arthur in his place, this interaction implies a bit of friction between the mythological royals. An ancient war between the Atlanteans and the Themyscirans has been mentioned several times in the DCEU, and it seems that some of that cultural enmity may have left a few remnants of distrust between Aquaman and Wonder Woman. This wouldn’t be the first time that Diana and Arthur have butt heads, but it’s highly unlikely that this more combative dynamic will get any more room to be explored – yet another missed opportunity in a cinematic universe that many would argue already has plenty.
In most continuities, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are staunch allies. Excepting dystopian timelines like the Flashpoint universe — in which Atlantis and Themyscira are at war — these two powerhouses work well together, and some storylines even hint at a potential romance between the two. In the DCEU, however, it’s clear that the Justice League is still in its raw form, and its heroes are still working on their team dynamics, leading to moments of frustration as they best decide their roles on the team.
Aquaman and Wonder Woman’s DCEU Beef Probably Won’t Get Settled
This small character conflict between heroes is what DC fans love to see. Not every disagreement between heroes like Wonder Woman and Aquaman needs to spiral into all-out war, but they do color in character dynamics that many audience members would like to see developed. They go a long way towards making the larger-than-life heroes of the Justice League feel more human.
With the odds of a Justice League sequel featuring the DCEU cast lower than ever, it’s clear that much of the team’s dynamic will be left to fans’ imaginations. Either way, it’s small interactions like Diana and Arthur’s back-and-forth that humanize the characters’ big screen counterparts. Whether fans get to see a new Aquaman and Wonder Woman dynamic take shape in future DC projects remains unknown, but it’s clear that their DCEU relationship is sunk.
