Turns out, the reason Jason Momoa is perfectly cast as Aquaman has been written on his forearm the whole time.
Momoa's most prominent tattoo — the rows of black triangles that grace his forearm — has an interesting backstory. In a Fresh TV interview, the Hawaiian actor said his bold ink is actually a nod to ʻaumakua, or his family god. In Hawaiian mythology, it's believed that the ʻaumakua is an ancestor who has died and come back in a different form to protect his or her family. Momoa's guardian just so happens to be a shark.
"It's supposed to take the darkness out and bring in the light," Momoa said of the tattoo, which represents shark's teeth, "but we're still working on that."
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The symbolic tattoo is also supposed to protect Momoa when he enters the water. Specifically, sharks should be able to realize that he is one of their own and leave him alone. Kind of makes you wonder if he's actually the real Aquaman and this isn't much of an act at all.
Fans got a chance to see Momoa in all his aquatic superhero glory in the latest trailer for the Justice League, out November 17. The movie finds his character teaming up with Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Cyborg. The trailer's MVP manages to make talking to fish seem pretty cool.
Of course, nothing will be quite as insane as his next film The Bad Batch, a cannibal love story hitting Netflix on June 23. Unfortunately, Momoa doesn't have any tattoos that explain why he's perfect for that role. Though, this GIF may sum it up.