HBO Max Original Show Sets Cable TV Premiere
Aquaman: King of Atlantis will make its Cartoon Network debut on May 14 for fans of DC animation who don't have access to streaming services. All three parts of the short-form series will air on the channel from 4 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. ET. A new Teen Titans GO episode, Finding Aquaman, will air directly after. According to the official summary, "While searching for a missing Aquaman, the Titans find themselves at the mercy of Black Manta." The seventh season installment is reportedly a "parody of Disney-Pixar's Finding Nemo franchise.
Aquaman: King of Atlantis was originally scheduled to air on Cartoon Network's ACME Night block after its HBO Max debut in October 2021. HBO Max officially announced the miniseries based on the DC Comics character Aquaman in January 2020. They tapped James Wan, who directed the 2018 live-action film and its upcoming 2023 sequel, to executive-produce. It is the first miniseries produced by Warner Bros. Animation.
Set after the events of Wan's 2018 DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film Aquaman, Aquaman: King of Atlantis is described as "not canonical to the DCEU." Each standalone episode of the show "will have a unique storyline following the adventures of Aquaman as protector of the deep," the press release says. "The series begins with Aquaman's first day on the job as king of Atlantis, and he's got a LOT of catching up to do. Luckily, he has his two royal advisors to back him up – Vulko, the scholar, and Mera, the water-controlling warrior-princess. Between dealing with unscrupulous surface dwellers, elder evils from beyond time, and his own half-brother who wants to overthrow him, Aquaman will have to rise to the challenge and prove to his subjects and himself that he's the right man for the trident!"
In addition to airing weekly episodes starting on October 14, 2021, the miniseries will be released on DVD on June 21 and re-edited as a feature-length movie. The cast of Aquaman: King of Atlantis is an impressive lineup of actors and comedians, some also with voice-acting experience: The Walking Dead's Cooper Andrews is Aquaman, Gillian Jacobs, from the NBC comedy series Community voices Mera, Reno 911!'s Thomas Lennon as Vulko, and Dana Snyder, well known as Master Shake on Aqua Teen Hunger Force as Ocean Master.
"This DC property is a fan-favorite rich with well-known characters and dynamic storylines," Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max, said in the press release. "On the heels of Warner Bros. Pictures' box office smash hit, we are certain Aquaman: King of Atlantis will be an exciting addition to our already robust slate of kids and family programming." Aquaman was the second DC superhero to appear in animation, following Superman, on The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure in 1967.