DC Comics fans will recognize Patrick Wilson for his portrayal of the second Nite Owl in Zack Snyder's Watchmen. Now, he’s landed a role in James Wan's Aquaman. According to Deadline, he will be playing the King of the Seven Seas' villainous half-brother Orm Marius, aka Ocean Master, in the movie, which already has Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, and Willem Dafoe on board.
And this isn't Wilson’s first role in the DC Extended Universe. He made a voice cameo as the President of the United States in this year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Earlier this year, when Wan was asked whether we would see the 43-year-old actor in Aquaman, the director responded, "You just might!" But at that time, we couldn't predict that Wan would cast Wilson as Ocean Master. We assumed he was talking about the actor reprising his role from the Zack Snyder flick, possibly with a slightly lengthier cameo.
James Wan was asked about the possibility of Patrick Wilson's appearance in Aquaman in the first place because the two have already worked together in four different movies. The actor had lead roles in Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, The Conjuring, and The Conjuring 2.
Ocean Master and Aquaman in comics (Photo Credit – DC Comics)
Created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, Ocean Master made his first appearance in the September 1966 issue Aquaman #29. Like any other Atlantean, the character's water-adapted physiology grants him superhuman strength, endurance, reflexes, and senses. But unlike most other Atlanteans, he is a master of magical manipulation, and is capable of using it for feats like producing magical bolts and telepathy. The relationship between Aquaman and Ocean Master has some striking resemblances to the one between Chris Hemsworth's Thor and Tom Hiddleston's Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
At the moment, we aren't sure whether Ocean Master is the only baddie in Aquaman. It was reported back in August that Black Manta would be the main antagonist in the October 5, 2018 release. Another report about The Wire star Michael K. Williams being cast as the supervillain also surfaced online, but James Wan moved quickly to debunk that one. But this time, the director has confirmed that Patrick Wilson has been cast! Check out his tweet below!
In casting news that no one saw coming from 20,000 nautical miles away, I ordain @patrickwilson73 the Ocean Master. #KingOrm #Aquaman
"” James Wan (@creepypuppet) December 13, 2016
