Aquaman producer Peter Safran has confirmed that Julie Andrews plays a small (but important) role in the film. By sheer coincidence, the DC superhero movie will hit theaters two days after Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns – a sequel to the 1964 Mary Poppins movie musical that Andrews starred in.
The first DC Extended Universe film since Justice League, Aquaman follows Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) as he teams up with the underwater warrior Mera (Amber Heard) to stop his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) from starting a war with those who dwell on-land. Aquaman‘s supporting cast is packed with seasoned character actors, including Nicole Kidman as Arthur’s mother Atlanna (the Queen of Atlantis), Dolph Lundgren as Mera’s father King Nereus (the leader of Xebel), and Willem Dafoe as Arthur’s mentor, Nuidis Vulko.
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As reported exclusively by EW, Andrews costars in Aquaman as the voice of the Karathen: a mythical undersea creature who helps Arthur on his quest to become the king of Atlantis and restore peace between the seven underwater kingdoms and the surface world. Safran confirmed the news to EW and had the following to say about the decision to cast Andrews:
“We wanted the Karathen to have the voice of a classic British actress, albeit somewhat digitally altered. And when we found out Julie was interested and available and excited to do it, casting her was a no-brainer.”
Andrews won a Best Actress Oscar for her role in Mary Poppins, but declined to appear in Mary Poppins Returns out of concern that her presence would distract from Emily Blunt’s debut as the Practically Perfect nanny in the sequel. Further, when it comes to her movie roles, Andrews has mostly done voice work since her turn opposite Dwayne Johnson in 2010’s The Tooth Fairy. However, the beloved Hollywood icon did return to the small screen last year for Netflix’s educational TV program Julie’s Greenroom (which she also co-created), and seems willing and ready to appear in a film again, if it’s the right role.
By the sound of it, though, Andrews’ role in Aquaman will be voiceover only. Nevertheless, she will no doubt bring the classiness and gravitas that the film’s producers wanted for the Karathen. Likewise, her role will be yet another easter egg that fans should keep an eye out for (or, rather, keep their ears open for) in director James Wan’s DC adventure. And as for the fact that Aquaman and Mary Poppins Returns are going to be competing at the box office: Safran confirmed it’s just a funny coincidence and jokingly told EW “Who knew that Aquaman would have the real Mary Poppins this Christmas?”
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Source: EW