Aquaman's James Wan Reveals Why Dolph Lundgren Is Perfect for King Nereus

In April, it was announced that Dolph Lundgren would be joining the DC Extended universe in the upcoming Aquaman.

Now director James Wan revealed to THR why Lundgren was the perfect choice to play the film's King Nereus.

"When I was in the process of writing this character [King Nereus] in the world of Aquaman, a friend of mine, [director] Mike Mendez, was working with him on one of his films, and Mike was just raving about how great Dolph was," Wan said. "And I thought 'Oh my god, Dolph would be great for this role as well!' So it kinda came about from that roundabout way."

Wan also had praise for Lundgren's regality and noted his acting skill, something many may not attribute to him due to his status as an action star in films such as Rocky IV, Masters of the Universe and The Expendables franchise.

"He's a really strong actor. I don't think anyone gives him enough credit for how serious he actually takes his craft. He's taking it very seriously on this film."

If you're not familiar with King Nereus, you're likely not alone. The short-lived character was introduced in Aquaman #19 back in 2013 during Geoff Johns' 'Death of a King' arc as the villainous leader of an exiled group of Atlanteans called the Xebels. King Nereus wanted to ruin Mera as she had once been part of his troupe and later he offered to help Orm the Ocean Master take down Aquaman.

While the character's comic history is clearly antagonistic, Wan has said that Nereus is "not quite" a villain in the film so it remains to be seen just how Lundgren's King Nereus will fit into the film.

Aquaman also stars Amber Heard (Justice League, Magic Mike XXL) as Mera; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (Platoon, Spider-Man 2) as Vulko; Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Green Lantern) as Tom Curry; Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables films) as Nereus; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (upcoming Baywatch, Netflix's The Get Down) as Black Manta; with Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring films, Watchmen) as Orm/Ocean Master; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (The Hours, Lion) as Atlanna.

Aquaman will swim into theaters on December 21, 2018.