Could Santiago Cabrera been the perfect Aquaman? The Heroes star reflects on his role in the canceled film Justice League: Mortal.
Justice League: Mortal is one of the most infamous canceled projects in all of superhero media, shot down right at the starting line due to the 2007 strikes and ending what could have been the start of a new DC Universe. Santiago Cabrera, who was cast to play Aquaman in the film, reflects on his experience with the project before it was canned.
“Technically, I was Aquaman in 2007 when the writer’s strike hit,” Cabrera explained in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Just before, we went to Australia, I was with George Miller — I’m just such a fan, I think he’s phenomenal. And I had a little communication with him. My friend Tom Burke, who was fantastic in Furiosa, which I just loved, he was like, ‘Hey, George says ‘Hi.’ It was a feeling like, would you like to be a superhero?”
“The strike hit, so they put Justice League: Mortal on hold. But just being in his world, I went to Wētā, Peter Jackson’s FX company, where I tried the costume on. So it felt very real for a second there. But at the same time, it was like: Don’t do these things. In this business, until it’s all out there, until you’re at the premiere and you’re talking about it like I am now, it’s never real.”
Hearing that Santiago Cabrera was already fitting in the Aquaman suit to prepare for Justice League: Mortal is enough to bring any DC fans to tears. While it’s a shame the project never saw the light of day, it did leave the door open to dozens of interesting DC projects to take the stage in the early 2010s prior to the next attempt at a DC Universe with Man of Steel.
Could Santiago Cabrera Return To The DC Universe?
Even though Justice League: Mortal met an untimely end, it seems fans aren’t ready to let go of the dream of Santiago Cabrera as Aquaman. While Cabrera didn’t openly say he’d want to return to play the Defender of the Deep, he did mention that he’d be open to playing a different part in the DC Universe.
“Clearly, I was excited for that one,” Cabrera continued when speaking on Justice League: Mortal. “So if anything came again, I feel, why not? I’d love to go into the villain territory though, I think I’d enjoy it.”
Given Santiago Cabrera’s history of playing good guys, such as Aquaman in Justice League: Mortal and Isaac Mendez in Heroes, it would be interesting to see him take on the role of a villain in the new DC Universe. Though his wise words should be heeded: In Hollywood, nothing is true until the red carpet!
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