1. James Wan
If James Wan goes on to become THE NAME everyone associates with fun-filled, inventive, action blockbusters over the next few years, no one will be less surprised than me. The man has always been about making things work, despite all the odds put against him - he launched the "torture-porn" subgenre with Saw (a film that had basically no budget, and went on to become absolutely iconic. Aquaman movie is Wan's first real shot at the big leagues without any wild curveballs being thrown in his way. He knew he was walking into a movie universe and would have lots of expectations to deal with . The fact that James Wan took this gig says a lot - if he can save the F&F franchise from Paul Walker's death, I think he can save the DCU from Zack Snyder's legacy.
2. A Villain With A Reasonable point
Wan brought his frequent collaborator Patrick Wilson with him for a reason - to play Orm (aka Ocean Master), Arthur Curry's half-brother, the current king of Atlantis, and the main antagonist of the movie. And he's an antagonist with a pretty good motivation. One of the largest issues people have had with the DCU thus far has been its incredibly lackluster villains. But Orm is different - he wants to attack the surface world for their constant abuse, neglect, and total disdain for ocean life. Which is...extremely real.
3. Jason Momoa
Let's talk about the guy at the center of this film, Arthur Curry himself, aka "AquaBro".Jason Momoa. The dude has charisma out the wazoo, looks insanely badass, and seems like one of the most charming individuals both onscreen and off. And he really had his work cut out for him in taking on this role - Aquaman has long been generally perceived as a joke of a character, a straight-laced weenie in a doofy costume who rides on seahorses, talks to fish, and isn't too helpful when the battle moves to land. The casting of Momoa did a lot to immediately dispell that (since - again - the dude just LOOKS REAL COOL), but that really will only get you so far - you need someone who can handle the physicality of the role AND give us a fun, likeable character who we can root for. And I believe Jason Momoa is precisely the guy you want for that job.
4. Black Manta Looks Cool As Hell.
Holy. Shit. Black Manta looks GOOD. It is genuinely impossible to gauge how effective he will be as a character or antagonist, how well a secondary villain will be integrated into the story, or anything like that. All we know is this weird bug-eyed helmet that looks like it was pulled straight out of the comics looks good as hell, and that's something.
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