Why James Wan Used That Pitbull Song In Aquaman

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Director James Wan sheds light on why he chose to use Pitbull's song "Ocean to Ocean" in one of Aquaman's key scenes. There's a lot of remarkable sequences in the latest DC Films installment, but arguably what stuck with most viewers was the slow-mo shot of Arthur (Jason Momoa) and Mera (Amber Heard) walking out of the water. It's an expected sight in a film set both on land and sea, but what made it so memorable is the fact that it's set to the tune of Pitbull's aforementioned song.

While "Ocean to Ocean" is technically a brand new song (Pitbull raps about the plot of the film), its hook features the chorus of Toto's classic, "Africa," sung by Rhea which was timely considering that Arthur and Mera were traveling to the Sahara desert in their search for King Atlan's missing Trident. That said, it's still an odd choice of background song, especially in a superhero film. Now Wan reveals the reason why he chose the song.

Speaking with Business Insider, Wan explained his decision to use Pitbull's song in Aquaman, saying that he had always wanted the film to be fun. The sequence overall was already a bit hilarious, using "Ocean to Ocean" in the background doubled down on that making it exactly what he wanted it to be.

"And putting the song in the sequence where Aquaman and Mera walk out of the water in slow motion, I felt: For f---'s sake, let's have fun with it! It's something out of 'Fast and Furious.'"

"Pitbull was in there very early on. He was really excited to do something for the film. That sequence is very tongue-in-cheek, and we just wanted to have fun with it. And we wanted a cheeky song at that point of the movie. I just wasn't sure what song it was going to be."

Admittedly, hearing the song in the film for the first time was quite jarring, especially considering the dire situation that Arthur and Mera were in at that point. But over time, it grew on people, and hearing Wan's explanation behind his decision makes it easier to appreciate, as it justifies this creative choice. Since Aquaman's release, "Ocean to Ocean" has become quite the sensation and is being used all over the internet for different intents and purposes but mostly for fun.

Out of all six entries in the DCEU, Aquaman is arguably the most fun. It knows exactly what it is, and isn't afraid to embrace, and sometimes even highlight that. While Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman remains the best installment in Warner Bros.' superhero franchise overall, Wan proved that the DC film series - which had been mostly associated with a dark and gritty tone - can be lighthearted and humorous in a successful way. Given this, fans should expect more variations in tone in the DCEU moving forward.