10 Ways Aquaman Is Better Than Black Panther

7. Strong Character Progression

By the end of the film, all of the main characters in Aquaman are far different from where they started. Arthur, Orm, Mera all go through transformations in significant ways. While he may initially just be a good-hearted but responsibility-hating rebel, Arthur transforms throughout the film. By the end, it's clear that his place on the throne is earned beyond just being his birthright. Mera thinks little of humanity and feels rather superior over others, but becomes a much warmer, kind-hearted person by the end. Even Orm goes through his own journey as he goes from an only child (in his mind) to someone who must acknowledge the 'other' member of his purist bloodline.

Once Black Panther ends, nobody really changes outside of Martin Freeman's Everett Ross. T'Challa and company start and end in roughly the same place, with the world being the only one progressing in any way. Nobody has a clear flaw, outside of T'Challa's somewhat naive belief of inherent innocence in his country's leaders.

Put simply, nobody has serious flaws that needed to be worked on. Aquaman establishes its central characters' problems and shows their development as they work on those issues.