When it comes to superhero movies, Patrick Wilson has built himself a rather cool legacy. He first dipped his toe in the genre playing Dan Dreiberg a.k.a. Night Owl II in Zach Snyder's Watchmen, and he also has the distinction of being one of the few actors with two different roles in the DC Extended Universe: he voices the president of the United States in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and he plays Orm in the two Aquaman blockbusters. Given that history, could he potentially have a future in the blossoming DC Universe?
While nothing can be confirmed on that front, it at least can be said that conversations have been had about that possibility. Wilson has recently been doing interviews promoting the release of the upcoming horror movie The Conjuring: Last Rites, and he was asked by ComicBook.com about whether or not he has had the chance to talk about the DCU with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn. The actor noted that while he has never met the Superman writer/director, he has worked closely with Gunn's co-CEO Peter Safran (who is a producer on the Conjuring franchise). And with that being said, he's not sure there is a whole lot more that he wants to "say" with Orm as a character:
No, never met [James Gunn]. So I have no relationship there. Obviously Peter [Safran], his partner, is our producer, so I’ve known Peter forever. I mean, we said what we needed to say with Orm, so yeah, I love the guy, love the character.
In support of Patrick Wilson's point, audiences have seen his incarnation of Orm go through a full arc. In the first Aquaman, he is very much the villain, and after his plan to conquer the seas fails, he is thrown in prison. In Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom, the character is provided with a full redemption, and he partners with the titular hero to help save the world from a dangerous evil.
But what about other characters? Given that Jason Momoa is playing Lobo in the upcoming Supergirl, the door certainly seems open for that possibility – even as some DCEU carryover has been reflected in Peacemaker Season 2. Patrick Wilson says that he has talked about the possibility with Peter Safran, but for right now, he is looking to step away from the business for a minute:
I haven’t really. Peter and I have just chatted briefly on the surface, but I’ve actually just taken a bit of a hiatus from directing and just taking a break for my mental health because directing just takes so much out of you physically and mentally and emotionally. And so, who knows? Never say never.
The good news for Patrick Wilson is that the DC Universe is planning to be around for a while, so when he's ready, it will potentially be ready to give him an exciting part. As of right now, the only two movies on the immediate horizon are the aforementioned Supergirl and the R-rated Clayface, but there are a number of other projects currently in various stages of development.
On the Patrick Wilson front, audiences will next be able to see him in The Conjuring: Last Rites, which will be in theaters everywhere next Friday, September 5. And if you need a dose of the DCU immediately, Max subscribers can watch both Creature Commandos Season 1 and the debut episode of Peacemaker Season 2, and James Gunn's Superman just recently entered the home video market and is now available for digital rental/purchase from all major online outlets.
