But for that to work, Wan needed that chemistry between Momoa and Wilson to truly pop. Luckily for the director, as he told Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, he discovered that their culture clash — Wilson’s Orm the spoiled prince, and Momoa’s Curry the laid-back warrior — made for engaging interplay, which audiences relished. “In the case of this movie, it really was that people really enjoyed the relationship between Arthur and Orm,” said Wan. “I think what people enjoy about this film is just the world exploration again, the world that we have created, but also going along this journey with these two characters.” He went on to add:

“Obviously, as you can see in the trailer, they don’t get along, they come from different worlds, and obviously they were antagonists in the first movie, but in this one, they had to kind of put their differences aside to try and work together to try and overcome a greater cause. I feel like that is such a universal theme that even applies for us in our world today that I really appreciate, and I hope people will be into that, as well.”

‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Is Like ‘Men in Black’Image via Sony Pictures

More amusingly, when observing the pair on set and in the edit, Wan found himself comparing them to another famous double act which made its name in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Citing the cult classic Men in Black movies and in particular, the unlikely duo of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, Wan made the point that a lot of the humor and joy in the film came as an inspiration from the work of Smith and Jones.

“They have really fun chemistry together. Again, Jason is kind loose and wild and just having fun, and Patrick plays it really kind of strict and rigid, so it’s kind of cool to see that contrast. It’s a little bit like Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the Men in Black films. That’s kind of where the humor comes from.”

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in theaters on December 23, 2023. You can check out the trailer for the upcoming movie below.