Aquaman (2018)

Aquaman is a 2018 American superhero film directed by James Wan, based on the DC Comics character. Jason Momoa stars as Arthur Curry, the half-human, half-Atlantean who must embrace his heritage and claim the underwater throne of Atlantis to prevent his half-brother King Orm, played by Patrick Wilson, from uniting the seven underwater kingdoms and declaring war on the surface world. Accompanied by Mera, a fierce Atlantean princess played by Amber Heard, Arthur embarks on a globe-spanning quest to find the legendary Trident of Atlan, the only weapon powerful enough to establish his right to rule.

James Wan, who had previously revitalized the horror genre with The Conjuring and Insidious franchises, brought his keen visual sense to a radically different scale, creating the most visually extravagant DC film to date. The underwater sequences were a technical marvel, requiring the development of new visual effects techniques to depict an entire civilization existing beneath the ocean — complete with underwater cities, bioluminescent landscapes, armies mounted on sea creatures, and physics-defying combat choreography. Jason Momoa's portrayal of Aquaman as a beer-drinking, wisecracking brawler was a deliberate departure from the character's long-standing reputation as one of the most ridiculed superheroes in popular culture.

The film earned $1.15 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing DC Extended Universe film and proving that the franchise could produce massive global hits outside of its Batman and Superman properties. The Sicily rooftop chase sequence and the climactic underwater battle were praised for their scale and creativity.