'Aquaman' Director James Wan Shares Heartwarming Message From Jim Lee

With Aquaman now playing in theaters, director James Wan has made a cinematic success out of a DC Comics superhero that many thought couldn't sustain a full-length movie.

But Wan defied the odds and Aquaman is making bank at the box office this Holiday season. And celebrate his success, legendary artist and DC Comics executive Jim Lee paid tribute to Wan with a touching note that the director shared on social media.

Christmas gifts from one of my idols growing up @JimLee. Never thought I would ever meet Jim, let alone get this amazing note from him. Thank You so much, sir 🙏 #Aquaman #DC pic.twitter.com/mN0jkjgRi2

— James Wan (@creepypuppet) December 27, 2018

Lee continued to sing the praise of James Wan, thanking him for inspiring a new wave of fans to dive into the DC Universe.

Nothing better than watching one of the greats take on Aquaman and through sheer imagination, passion and drive elevate him to the very top of the charts! //t.co/xfAVhUazYT

— Jim Lee (@JimLee) December 27, 2018

Wan is mostly known in Hollywood for creating hit horror film franchises like The Conjuring, Saw, and Insidious. And while he still oversees the spinoffs and sequels to The Conjuring franchise, he has since explored other genres films such as his time directing Furious 7.

But Wan decided to tackle Aquaman because of the support he's received from Warner Bros. and the opportunity to bring the character's world to life on the big screen.

"It was very important for me early on to be allowed to make my own film and to have my own voice be in there," Wan previously said to ComicBook.com.

"After Furious 7 and Conjuring 2, I didn't want to be a director for hire. After Furious 7, that's kind of who I was to some degree, but after that, I don't want to be that guy again. So, it was very important for me to be able to bring my own stamp, my own visual aesthetic, create the characters. Even though Jason has somewhat been established Justice League, I wanted to bring his character into this, basically, fresh in a lot of ways."

While Aquaman made his debut in Zack Snyder's Justice League, the stand-alone spinoff allowed Wan an opportunity to create the underwater empire of Atlantis.

"I really think what has been really fun, and I think for moviegoers, not just the fans, is when they see this film, they're not just seeing a world of DC. They're literally seeing a world within Aquaman itself," Wan said.

Aquaman is now playing in theaters everywhere.