The Aquaman premiere featured one very special performance by the king of Atlantis.
On Wednesday, Jason Momoa took to the red carpet at his DC Comics movie premiere to lead a haka, a ritualistic dance.
Along with other cast members such as Temuera Morrison, Momoa and his comic book character's iconic trident (which was soon snapped in half) performed a spirited dance for an excited crowd.
What is haka? The traditional ceremonial dance comes from New Zealand's Māori culture. The stomping, posturing performance is associated with wartime rituals, but it's no longer exclusively dedicated to such. It is also used to welcome guests, and performed at special occasions — in this case, the premiere of Aquaman.
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Haka has also been utilized within the sports world; New Zealand's rugby team All Blacks perform haka as a pre-game ritual and a few other teams have adopted it. It's worth noting that use of haka within the competitive sports world is controversial, as it often ignores the complex history associated with both the Māori and the ritual.
Momoa himself is reportedly of Hawaiian heritage on his father's side. (Hawaii is part of the Polynesian triangle, along with New Zealand and Easter Island.) His co-star Morrison, who performed the dance alongside Momoa, is from New Zealand.
Jason Momoa performs a haka dance at the #Aquaman premiere https://t.co/a7Og507hlT pic.twitter.com/enoEApGhq4
— Variety (@Variety) December 13, 2018
Fans were, umm, thrilled by the dance... if these memes are any indication.
— Sleighvid Opie ? (@DavidOpie) December 13, 2018
??? pic.twitter.com/3GWHIILKxg
— Rachel (@_BabyGotSoul) December 13, 2018
Kudos to his tailor! pic.twitter.com/4byWC5hwuW
— Melissa Haynes (@MelHay333) December 13, 2018
When he cracked that ? across his knee though. pic.twitter.com/4gPeOBd7bD
— Brandy (@dancingmusique) December 13, 2018
— Marty. (@Atwitisborn) December 13, 2018
Turns out, Momoa didn't even need a magical trident to break the internet — just some dance moves.
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