Every Live-Action Aquaman Movie Costume, Ranked

Since his debut in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman sported several different costumes in the DCEU. 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom marked the conclusion of the DCEU before the franchise’s reboot into the new DC Universe, which came after a lengthy period of disappointing releases and box office bombs for DC Studios. Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Aquaman, however, was one of the most popular aspects of the DCEU, with his 2018 debut, Aquaman, totaling over $1 billion at the global box office, and its 2023 sequel becoming 2023’s most successful live-action DC project, though it didn’t fare nearly as well as its predecessor.

Despite Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s disappointing performance and negative reception, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman has still been celebrated for his commitment to the role. Aquaman first made a cameo appearance in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before starring in 2017’s Justice League and Aquaman the following year. With DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran rebooting the franchise into the new DC Universe, Aquaman will likely be recast, though there is speculation Jason Momoa could portray Lobo in the DCU. Whatever the future holds, Momoa’s journey as Aquaman saw him become a beloved fixture in the DCEU, and his powerful superhero costumes certainly helped along the way.

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5 Aquaman’s Batman V Superman Costume Was Simple

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

Jason Momoa made his first cameo appearance in the DCEU in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, giving viewers a taste of what he looked like as Aquaman before the underwater hero became a member of the Justice League or took his place as the King of Atlantis. Aquaman’s first appearance in the DCEU was only seen by Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman, who had acquired a file on metahumans around the world from LexCorp. This file contained information on Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, Ezra Miller’s Flash and Aquaman, beginning to sew the seeds for the development of the Justice League team in subsequent DCEU projects.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice provided only a glimpse at Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry, but since this was long before he became the Atlantean superhero, his costume was very basic. The costume comprised metallic armbands and straps across his body, though Momoa was essentially topless, showing off Aquaman’s large array of detailed and intricate tattoos. Arthur Curry also wielded a five-pronged trident, which was later revealed to have belonged to his mother, Nicole Kidman’s Queen Atlanna. This costume would be upgraded for Momoa’s next appearance in 2017’s Justice League, though it would keep the same metallic textures.

4 Aquaman Had A Realistic Costume In Justice League

Justice League (2017) & Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Aquaman’s costume in Justice League, the DCEU’s first team-up project, was perhaps the most realistic and grounded out of all of his superhero suits. This reflected the darker tones of Justice League, though also gave Jason Momoa the chance to fully demonstrate the strength of his water-based hero. The events of Justice League take place before Arthur Curry ever journeyed to his homeworld of Atlantis, meaning his costume would have been more inspired by the land rather than the sea. Hard, metallic armor made Aquaman a formidable opponent to Steppenwolf and his Parademons, yet was a far cry from the vibrant and colorful costume he would soon sport.

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In fact, every hero involved in the Justice League team could have been said to have their most believable costume during the 2017 project, as Miller’s Barry Allen, a.k.a. the Flash, had a heavy-duty suit of armor, Affleck’s Batman had a sleek black-and-gray costume that reflected his DC Comics origins, and Fisher’s Victor Stone, a.k.a. Cyborg’s, abilities were fully displayed. The DCEU would become progressively more colorful following director Zack Snyder’s exit from the franchise, yet this would perhaps come at the detriment of narrative and character development, as 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League, in which Aquaman retained the same costume, proved Snyder’s plot would have benefited the overall DCEU.

3 Aquaman’s Atlantis Battle Armor Showed His Strength

Aquaman (2018)

2018’s Aquaman marked Jason Momoa’s solo debut as Arthur Curry in the DCEU, and his first trip to Atlantis following the ascension of Patrick Wilson’s vengeful Orm to Ocean Master. Arthur and Orm quickly entered into a challenge for the Atlantean throne, which Arthur was far from ready for, but this provided the opportunity for both underwater characters to show off some fantastic battle armor. The contrast of Orm’s silver armor against Arthur’s golden suit perfectly displayed the differences between the pair, and while Aquaman didn’t succeed in besting his brother in this duel, his plated, gladiatorial armor showcased his strength and brutality brilliantly.

2 Aquaman’s Stealth Costume Was Sleek & Modern

Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom (2023)

2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom not only marked the end of Arthur Curry’s story in the DCEU, but the conclusion of the franchise as a whole, as Gunn and Safran will be kicking off the DC Universe with 2024’s Creature Commandos and Waller. There were some major problems with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but one of the film’s strongest moments saw Arthur Curry and Orm reunite with the help of a new stealth costume for Aquaman. This blue costume allowed him to turn invisible for a short time, and provided a sleek and modern look for the underwater superhero, but it paled in comparison to Aquaman’s true costume.

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1 Aquaman’s Green & Gold Costume Was Comic Accurate

Aquaman (2018) & Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom (2023)

Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry and the version of the hero from DC Comics have wildly different appearances, but 2018’s Aquaman still managed to perfectly adapt Aquaman’s DC Comics costume in the live-action DCEU. During his 2018 solo debut, Arthur Curry journeyed through the Trench with Amber Heard’s Mera, where he not only reunited with his long-thought-dead mother, but also acquired King Atlan’s legendary trident and completed his transformation into the Atlantean superhero Aquaman. This came with an upgraded costume, as his wielding of Atlan’s trident gifted him his iconic green-and-gold suit of armor, inspired directly by the style of the underwater Atlanteans.

This green-and-gold costume returned in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with some minor differences such as Aquaman’s belt changing from gold to green, matching the lower half instead of the top. The fact that the costume remained practically the same in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – where other characters’ costumes changed drastically in their sequels – proves just how powerful and recognizable this suit of armor really is. A costume with colors as vivid as these could have easily looked gimmicky or cringeworthy, but Jason Momoa wears it well, so it’s perhaps a shame that audiences will never see him suit up as Aquaman​​​​​​​ again.