Warner Bros. has decided to pass on indie director Jeff Nichols' pitch for an Aquaman film that would have taken the character in a ‘much darker' direction. This is after Zack Snyder's attempts to build a somber DC Extended Universe (DCEU) received mixed reactions from both casual and hardcore DC fans. While James Wan's “Aquaman” offered a sunnier and more charismatic take on the Atlantean hero, played by Jason Momoa.

Now, Jeff Nichols is known for his work on films like “Shotgun Stories” and “Take Shelter.” But taking on a superhero story wouldn't have been a problem.

The director revealed that he pitched a version of Aquaman to Warner Bros. that was significantly more gloomy and depressing than what fans saw in James Wan's film.

He described his vision of Aquaman as an older, fallen king mourning the loss of his son, with a harpoon for a hand. However, Warner Bros. deemed his pitch too bleak for the character.

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Although Nichols didn't mention which actor he had in mind for the role, his pitch didn't gain traction.

Fortunately, it proved to be a fortunate decision for the studio. James Wan's “Aquaman” became one of the highest-grossing DC movies to date, surpassing $1 billion in worldwide earnings.

In fact, the film's triumph led to the sequel “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” extending Momoa's Aquaman journey in the DCEU. Yet, James Gunn's impending influence on the franchise could bring significant changes, including the removal of Ben Affleck's planned Batman cameo in the sequel.