Why Orm Looks So Different In Aquaman 2 | Screen Rant
Patrick Wilson's Orm looks completely different in the first image of him in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and here's what his appearance reveals about the movie. The upcoming movie in the DC Extended Universe is the highly anticipated sequel to 2018's Aquaman. Even though the movie won't debut in theaters until the end of 2022, the start of production has brought the first looks at Aquaman 2's stars.
The early teases of the sequel from director James Wan brought the debut of Jason Momoa's new Aquaman suit. After seeing his darker stealth suit, the next Aquaman 2 image flipped perspective to show what his half-brother Orm will look like. While Arthur Curry has a clean new costume, the first look at Ocean Master shows him shirtless on a beach with long, dirty hair and an unkempt beard. He's also wearing baggy brown pants. It is a very different look than the King of Atlantis style he boasted in the first movie, where Ocean Master had slicked back short hair and a purple and silver Atlantean suit of armor. So, why did Orm’s look change so much for the sequel?
The reason for Orm’s new look in Aquaman 2 should connect directly to how the first film ended his story. Aquaman defeated Orm in combat to reclaim the throne of Atlantis, and it was after their duel that Arthur placed his half-brother under arrest. Orm’s new look reflects that he’s been in prison since that moment and hasn’t had the luxuries of a haircut. The length of his hair indicates that Ocean Master has been locked up for quite some time, too, meaning he hasn’t been quite ready to talk to Arthur since then. Even though he’s likely been imprisoned for years, that clearly hasn’t had an impact on Orm’s physical fitness.
Beyond Orm's messy hair, his wardrobe and location could also be telling about his state in Aquaman 2. It makes sense that he's no longer in the royal Atlantean armor after Aquaman's ending, but it is odd that Ocean Master isn't wearing any Atlantean clothing. His pants look like an old pair of human pants, which could indicate that he isn't being held in Atlantis at all. The beach setting might mean that Orm was banished from Atlantis with some Atlantean army watching him to keep him contained. While it might seem like a bad idea for Arthur to keep Ocean Master out of Atlantis for his imprisonment, he may be trying to keep Orm isolated. In this scenario, Aquaman could want to make sure Orm can't interfere in his ruling or so he can gain some perspective about the land dwellers he despises.
With Ocean Master imprisoned or banished from Atlantis, that sets him up to play an intriguing role in Aquaman 2. In either scenario, Orm could be presented with the option to be freed by Black Manta in exchange for working together to take down Arthur Curry. This potentially will see Orm go in the opposite direction of what Arthur imagines, as Aquaman's ending teases that he'd like to patch up his relationship with Ocean Master. If that is the route that Orm chooses to go, then Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could turn him into a Loki-esque anti-hero for the DCEU.