Is Aquaman Gay, Bisexual, or Straight? What Is DC Canon?
Aquaman is among the most popular and powerful DC characters ever and a long-time member of the Justice League. Over the years, the character went through some major changes, with different people donning the Aquaman mantle. Just recently, the new Aquaman (formerly Aqualad) came out. So, is Aquaman gay, bisexual, or straight in DC canon?
Aquaman is both straight and gay/bi in DC canon; it all depends on which Aquaman we’re talking about. If it’s the original Aquaman, Arthur Curry, then he is straight, with a wife and daughter. However, if it’s Kaldur’ahm who inherited the mantle from Arthur, then Aquaman is openly gay (or bi, at least).
Ever since the DC Rebirth version of Kaldur in Teen Titans, Aqualad was an openly gay teenager that had a boyfriend. Also, the same character in the Young Justice: Outsiders animated series was just recently confirmed to be gay or bi, finally getting in line with its awesome comic book counterpart. Let’s dig into DC Comics’ canon to find out more.
Is Arthur Curry’s Aquaman Gay, Straight, Or Bisexual?
Arthur Curry is the original Aquaman from DC Comics, first appearing way back in 1941 in More Fun Comics #73. The King of Atlantis was a long-term member of the Justice League but later left to be the King of Atlantis. He gave up the Aquaman mantle, which is when Aqualad, or Kaldur’ahm, claimed it and became the new Aquaman.
Arthur Curry’s character in DC canon was always portrayed straight, with no apparent indications of being anything but. The New 52 version of Curry’s Aquaman (2011-present) is married to Mera, and the two have a child together – a daughter named Andrina.
Even before, the couple was one of the first to marry in DC Comics, back in 1964. Unlike most superheroes, Arthur didn’t have numerous relationships and was always a family man. Hence, there was no indication of him being anything else than straight.
In the DCEU, Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry, again, showed interest only in females so far in the movies – namely, his comic book spouse, Mera.
Things changed, however, when Aqualad became Aquaman.
Is Kaldur’ahm’s Aquaman Gay, Straight, Or Bisexual?
There were other Aqualads before Kaldur’ahm, like Garth and Jackson Hyde, but only Kaldur’ahm took over the mantle of Aquaman from Arthur Curry.
Kaldur debuted in DC Comics in 2010 in Brightest Day #4. He was the son of Aquaman’s nemesis, Black Manta, whom Arthur took under his wing. Kaldur had magical powers and was known as Aqualad. Still, after the original Aquaman gave up the mantle to be King Orin of Atlantis, Poseidonis, and the Seven Seas, Aqualad became the new Aquaman.
In DC Rebirth, Kaldur was an openly gay teenage character who had a boyfriend. He never explicitly stated if he is homosexual or bi, though, so both could be possible.
In the Young Justice: Outsiders animated series, though, it wasn’t revealed until recently that this version of Kaldur is also queer. Still, the show’s creator Greg Weisman teased Aquaman’s sexuality in a 2017 tweet, long before the official confirmation came in 2019.
In Episode 20 of Young Justice: Outsiders, “Quiet Conversations,” Kaldur’s sexuality was finally confirmed as gay or bi. He shared a passionate kiss with one of the soldiers in King Orin’s Royal Guard named Wyynde.
Kaldur took a girl to Atlantis, whose powers manifested, and she grew gills, so she couldn’t breathe on the surface anymore. When he takes the girl to King Orin, we see that Arthur has a new protege by his side – Wyynde. Later in the episode, we see him and Kaldur share a kiss, confirming the young Aquaman is bisexual.
Now, I’m saying bisexual because he wasn’t portrayed queer so far – not explicitly, at least. He actually had strong feelings for an Atlantean girl named Tula, who had died in battle years before. In the comics, though, Tula was Arthur Curry’s step-sister, and as far as I can remember, she didn’t have a relationship with Kaldur.
I found it to be an awesome, long-time-coming reveal that the new leader of the Justice League is representing the LGBTQ in the show.
The Bottom Line
So, the bottom line is, that the two different versions of Aquaman – Arthur Curry and Kaldur’ahm – do not share the same sexuality.
Arthur was a straight man since the character’s introduction, with not many relationships outside of the one with his wife, Mera. They married and had a child together as Curry ruled as King of Atlantis.
On the other hand, Kaldur’ahm was openly queer in the comics since the DC Rebirth and was confirmed queer in the Young Justice: Outsiders animated series in 2019. It’s unclear if he’s explicitly gay in the comics, but he is bisexual in the show, as he had both male and female love interests in Wyynde and Tula.
