Leonardo DiCaprio might not seem like the obvious choice to produce a comic book movie, but back in 2009, the world of superhero films was in flux. Iron Man had just been released, the MCU was in its infancy, and DC had a hit on their hands with The Dark Knight.
At one point in history, Leonardo DiCaprio seemed like the man who could help DC become the best superhero movie franchise the world had ever seen. And after the disaster that was Superman Returns, God knows that they needed it. Far from the best movie of all time, 2006’s Superman Returns was a flop and even today, is considered one of the worst movies DC has ever made. So it’s no surprise that, according to a 2009 Hollywood Reporter scoop, DiCaprio was eyed as the best person to move an Aquaman movie forward.
According to the outlet, a new movie based on Aquaman was all ready and raring to go under DiCaprio’s production company, Appian Way Productions.
The report didn’t clarify whether DiCaprio himself would portray the DC character, but obviously, this film never came to fruition. We wouldn’t get a solo Aquaman movie until nine years later, produced not by DiCaprio, but by Warner Bros and Peter Safran. It was Jason Momoa who portrayed Arthur Curry in the end, and as great as DiCaprio might have been as the aquatic hero, we simply can’t imagine anyone else in the role.
Still, DiCaprio hasn’t ruled out starring in a superhero movie, and last discussed the possibility in a 2010 interview with Shortlist.
When asked if he’d ever consider appearing in such a movie, DiCaprio said, “You never know. You never know. They’re getting better and better as far as complex characters in these movies. I haven’t yet. But no, I don’t rule out anything.”
Could Chapter 1 Gods and Monsters provide DiCaprio with the ideal opportunity to make the best movie in the superhero genre? With the DCEU no longer being canon, there’s definitely room for a new Aquaman…it’s just up to Leo if he wants to dive in to the role. But maybe he should watch all the DC movies in order first.
For what may well be Momoa’s final performance as Aquaman, check out our guide to the Aquaman 2 release date. Or, if you’re more Marvel than DC, here’s what we know about Deadpool 3.