Nicole Kidman Is The Same Age As Jason Momoa’s Wife — So Why Is She Playing His Mother?

Nicole Kidman could dive into the DC universe for the second time. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actress is in talks to play Aquaman's mom in the superhero's upcoming solo film. In the comics, Aquaman — who will be played by Jason Momoa in the movie — is the child of a lighthouse keeper and an Atlantis royal who escapes her kingdom for dry land. Basically, Kidman would be playing a grown-up version of the little mermaid — fun! But while Kidman would kill it in this role (because really, when has she not?) there is some classic Hollywood weirdness with this casting decision. The 49-year-old Moulin Rouge! star is only 12 years older than Momoa — and the same age as Lisa Bonet, Momoa's wife. That's more than a little eye roll inducing, considering Hollywood seems to have an allergy to casting women over a certain age. (Need I remind everyone that Sally Field played Tom Hanks' love interest in Punchline before playing his mother in Forrest Gump?) There are definitely older actresses who would nail this role, and it's a bummer that they were seemingly passed over. Before we go too far into an outrage spiral, it's worth noting that we don't yet know whether Kidman will appear in present-day, or if her role will be reserved exclusively for flashbacks. If the latter is the case, her age probably wouldn't matter at all. Still, it's hard not to be skeptical: Aquaman clearly wasn't trying to break any tired trends in its casting. Should Kidman accept the role, it won't be her first time hanging out with superheroes: the Oscar winner appeared in 1995's Batman Forever as Dr. Chase Meridian, who romanced Bruce Wayne (then played by Val Kilmer.) Aquaman certainly aimed high in terms of casting, and fingers crossed that Kidman wants to take another swim with the superhero genre.