Kevin Costner Makes Waterworld Joke With Aquaman's Jason Momoa
Kevin Costner jokingly made a Waterworld reference while meeting Aquaman's Jason Momoa at the 2022 Oscars. Costner starred in 1995's Waterworld, which was a Mad-Max-On-Sea post-apocalyptic thriller from director Kevin Reynolds (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves). Waterworld was notorious for its massive budget and production problems, and its box-office failure has become legendary (although it recouped costs and turned a profit over time). However, the film has since become a cult favorite and even spawned Universal Studios' Waterworld attraction, which has been a massive success for the theme park at all of its locations.
Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman in the DCEU movies, having much better luck at the box office with aquatic heroics than Costner initially did. 2018's Aquaman made $1.1 billion globally, becoming one of the highest-grossing DCEU films to date. Momoa is reprising the role for the sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which was delayed recently from 2022 to 2o23 to get out of the way of another water-faring sequel, Avatar 2, whose original film is still the highest-grossing movie of all time.
While at the 2022 Oscars, where both Costner and Momoa were presenters, the Dances With Wolves Oscar winner met up with Aquaman himself, taking a snapshot and posting it to his social media. Costner shared the image with the caption, "The Mariner meets Aquaman." This is a reference to Costner's role as The Mariner in Waterworld, a character that was able to breathe underwater and swim to great depths, much like his modern-day comic-book counterpart, Aquaman. The nod is a cool reference to both actors portraying similar characters in the world of big-budget blockbusters. Incidentally, both actors have also played major roles in the DCEU, as Costner portrayed Jonathan Kent in both Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Check out the post below:
Costner had been riding high with his career up to Waterworld, starring in a string of hits, including the Oscar-winning Dances With Wolves (which he also directed), Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, No Way Out, The Untouchables, JFK, The Bodyguard, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Though the movie was a flop at first, Costner bounced back after Waterworld with notable hits like Tin Cup, For Love of the Game, Thirteen Days, and Open Range. The actor has had tremendous success in recent years with Taylor Sheridan's ranch drama Yellowstone, which is about to go into production on season 5.
It's always cool to see celebrities meet up for events and find them geeking out over one another. While Costner and Momoa both appeared in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, they did not share a scene together, so it's fun to see the two finally meet up and bond over their shared water-based franchise connections. While a Waterworld sequel likely won't be happening anytime soon, it's not too late for Costner to appear in a future Aquaman movie or for Momoa to show up at Yellowstone ranch, each of which would be a welcome treat for both actors and viewers alike.
Source: Kevin Costner