‘Justice League’: Jason Momoa Defends the Film Against Negative Critics

After a decade in the making, Justice League finally made it to screens, and at least one Justice […]

November 20, 2017, 6:18pm

After a decade in the making, Justice League finally made it to screens, and at least one Justice League actor isn’t paying much attention to its ratings.

The Zack Snyder-directed (with an assist from Joss Whedon) movie received mixed reviews from critics and stands at a 40-percent “rotten” on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Justice League opened to $94 million, putting it far behind initial industry projections of a $100 million — $120 million opening weekend.

Videos by ComicBook.com

Technically speaking, it’s a big disappointment for studio Warner Bros. — but Jason Momoa, who makes a splash as aquatic hero Aquaman, stands by the film.

“I try to stay the f— away from what people say,” Momoa told EW. “Some of my friends said, ‘Justice League isn’t doing well’ and it kind of bummed me out. But I didn’t want to look it up. I don’t want to look up the bad and the negativity. I don’t think that’s useful; it doesn’t help.”

The Game of Thrones alum credits original director Zack Snyder for forging Aquaman into a more serious character, one who Momoa said was inspired by the water gods of his people, including Kanaloa, Tagaloa and Maui.

I’ve seen [Justice League] twice. I loved it the second time even more. I’m actually going to watch it again with my kids and my godchild. I’m going to see it with the perfect crowd of people — a regular crowd instead of at a premiere. So I’m excited. You can’t get into the whole ‘why this, why that.’ I went to [Wizard World Austin fan convention] this weekend and got great praise. Now obviously, that’s a positive place, and I’m not only interested in the positive. But if people love what we did with Aquaman, it’s all [Zack Snyder] — it’s his brainchild. He came in with, ‘I’m going to make Aquaman a badass and I’m going to change stuff, and change the myths about this guy.’ And I busted my ass.

Momoa will reprise the role in next year’s Aquaman, which will “center on Aquaman as a reluctant ruler of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis who is caught between land dwellers that are always polluting the globe and his own people who are ready to invade the surface,” per a synopsis that surfaced in February.

Aquaman stars Momoa alongside Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, and Dolph Lundgren. That film, from The Conjuring and Furious 7 director James Wan, opens December 21, 2018.

Justice League is now playing.