What I loved is how cool the costume was
when they came up with all the things that I'd use to battle and survive.
I love the strength of her.
Amber, one of the things that struck me when I first met her
was just how charismatic and charming she is.
And Mera is such a strong character.
In the comic book world, she's actually more powerful
than Arthur is in a lot of ways.
She has powers that even Arthur doesn't have.
[Jason Momoa] She's a strong woman. She could kill me, really.
She sucked the water right out of me. She's got this amazing power.
I don't even know your name.
It's Princess Y'Mera Xebella Challa.
You may call me Mera.
What I love so much about our movie is that James, the writers,
none of the producers, none of them want to see
or create another damsel in distress.
And I, for one, am the last person to sign up for such a role.
Mera is very much her own superhero.
And I wanted to very much do justice
to the Mera that has been created in the comic book world already.
[man] Action!
[Heard] But then allow for my own personality
and the role that they have created for me
in being a strong, proactive, powerful force on her own part
to inform my modern version of Mera.
One of the things I love the most about Aquaman
is that it reacts to our audience's desire
to see women occupy stronger roles.
-lt looks good, yeah. -[man] It's a great cut.
lt was very important for me to tell Mera's story as well.
[Heard] She is really, effectively, the one that saves the world.
naughs]
I need you to come with me to Atlantis.
If it weren't for her, none of it would happen.
[Wan] Our lead characters go on this crazy, fun journey,
and along the way, it's like a rite of passage story.
They learn who they are and what they're meant to be.
[Heard] She is destined to fulfill that role
that Queen Atlanna filled before her,
the true Atlantean queen.
[Mera] You've been here alone for 20 years?
[Atlanna] Yes.
The emotional spine of this movie really is Queen Atlanna.
So much of the movie is happening because of her.
It was super important for us
that we cast the right actor for this role.
I would like this last moment to be a bit more
taking your time, soaking it in.
[Peter Safran] We knew we needed an iconic actress to play this role.
We knew it had to be somebody
who would bring so much to the table just by looking at them
and really bring gravitas to the role.
[Wan] Nicole was my one and only choice.
I've wanted to work with Nicole for a very long time.
I think the world of her.
[Safran] James always said,
"The perfect person would be Nicole Kidman. "
And before we cast the role, we drew her into the concept art.
So all of the wardrobe art, everything that had Atlanna,
always with Nicole Kidman's face.
And James would say,
"l hear that Nicole wants to work with me."
And we would all kind of laugh at him and say,
"Yeah, I'm sure she wants to work with you. I'm sure she does."
But when we reached out, it turned out she actually really did.
[Kidman] James, he's an auteur,
and I was just really grateful that James said to me,
"Yeah, come and play her and let's have some fun together."
Casting Nicole as Queen Atlanna is heaven to me.
[Temuera Morrison] Nicole just has a wonderful warmth about her.
And, at times, I was actually a little starstruck
‘cause I'd be looking at her,
and I'd be looking into her wonderful blue eyes going,
"There is a real movie star for you. "
And she made it fun.
[Wan] Atlanna is definitely no pushover.
She's come from a long line of really powerful female warriors.
[Kidman] She's the queen.
I fight off eight of them, or 12 of them, yeah.
lt was easy. [laughs]
[Wan] Nicole just comes in and just blows us all away.
She's so incredible at what she does.
[Kidman] James told me that I would get to have Jason as the baby,
and then I get to be his mother when he's grown up.
But that I've always seen it in him.
I knew he was gonna be the king.
That's what a mother knows. That's a mother's instinct.