Jason Momoa Says ‘Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom’ Will Tackle Climate Change: “It’s Amazing To Be Able To Bring Awareness Of What Is Happening To Our Planet”
A year ago, in a response to Martin Scorsese’s indictments of superhero movies, Aquaman star Jason Momoa defended the genre as one of artistic merit he can use to touch on issues he cares about such as the ocean and the environment.
Today, he’s revealing those things will be a big part of the story of The Lost Kingdom. In an interview with GQ, Momoa teased that the effects of climate change on the Earth will be sped up to send a message about “what is going to happen.”
As per the outlet, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see Momoa’s character giving a speech to the United Nations “warning them of the disaster looming on the horizon,”in what closely mirrors a real-life conference the Hawaiian actor held earlier this year at the UN.
“I don’t want to give too much away. But we really get to speed up what is going to happen to this earth, and it’s not because of aliens,” he said of Aquaman 2’s plot while alluding to the sci-fi trope of invaders from outer space threatening life on this planet — as was the case in Justice League.
Momoa added he wants to raise awareness in a fun way and not tell the same old story so Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be an adventure. “These superhero movies dominate our market, which I have my own thoughts on because I love cinema, but we try to put out a positive message and go on an adventure,” he continued.
“Aquaman is the most made-fun-of superhero in the world,” he’d add further. “But it’s amazing to be able to bring awareness of what is happening to our planet. It’s not some story that’s been told over and over, [it’s a] movie about what’s happening right now but in a fantasy world.”
As Momoa’s fame rose, he became more open about his environmental concerns and activism. In 2019, he plugged “infinitely recyclable aluminum” razors in an Instagram video.
“Goodbye DROGO, AQUAMAN, DECLAN, BABA New YouTube episode please subscribe and share this video,” he said in the post. “I’m SHAVING this beast off, It’s time to make a change. A change for the better…for my kids, your kids, the world. Let’s make a positive change for the health of our planet.”
His post continues, “Let’s clean up our oceans our land. Join me on this journey. Let’s make the switch to infinitely recyclable aluminum…Water in cans, not plastic. You gotta get rid of your plastic water bottles. Aquaman’s trying to do the best he can for my kids, for your kids, for the world. Love you guys.”
Momoa also talked about his desire to play “eccentric” characters that don’t fit the “macho” mold he was pigeonholed in for a time. “It’s been hard because people always think I’m just this dude who plays [macho characters],” he said. “But I want to be moved, I want something new. Things are changing, and even the villain roles I’m playing now are eccentric.”
DC has been pushing the environmentalist narrative of man as the biggest threat to the Earth in their TV and movies for years. Most recently, it was a storyline in Peacemaker motivating alien invaders but the trend goes all the way back to the nuclear disarmament in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).
We will see how far Aquaman 2 goes with its message but the film, which comes out next March, has a bigger problem in Amber Heard to address before it weighs the movie down too much. Her screen time may be cut down to a few minutes if she’s in it at all anymore, though we won’t know her real status until the release.
NEXT: DC Films President Walter Hamada Denies Amber Heard’s Claim Her Role in Aquaman 2 Was “Pared Down”
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