Aquaman: Every Moment Pulled Straight From The MCU

6. The Opening Fight Scene (Captain America: Winter Soldier)

The film's narrative proper begins with an action sequence at sea, as Aquaman foils a band of high-tech pirates from stealing a submarine.

This is incredibly similar to the opening setpiece of the Russo Brothers' Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The MCU film's sequence features Cap fighting a band of terrorists who are attempting to take over a ship, using his shield and hand-to-hand tactics to take them down, and ultimately foiling their villainous plans.

In Aquaman, Arthur does exactly the same thing. But what makes it all a bit too on the nose is the way in which Arthur spends a good chunk of this setpiece throwing around a round-shaped submarine door, with it bouncing off of walls and coming back to him just like Cap's shield.

Also worth noting, Winter Soldier features a villain's origin story within its own narrative with Crossbones' arc, effectively setting him up for use in later films. Aquaman essentially does the exact same thing with Black Manta in this film, giving him an origin across the film, only to then sideline him for later use.