For years, Aquaman was a joke. Just because this character was innately silly and had superpowers that didn’t revolve around killing people, Aquaman became a go-to source for mockery. TV programs like The Big Bang Theory and Family Guy especially were relentless in their withering skewering of this classic superhero, a microcosm of the endlessly witty writing that permeated both shows. However, this ruler of the underwater kingdom had the last laugh in December 2018 when the character finally got a solo live-action movie. After years of Aquaman jokes and problems for the DC Extended Universe (save for the success of 2017’s Wonder Woman), Aquaman became a massive box-office success. In fact, this James Wan directorial effort turned into the biggest DC Comics adaptation in history at the worldwide box office.