Why King Atlan From Aquaman 2 Looks So Familiar
Arthur Curry's next adventure has finally had the big reveal fans have been waiting for thanks to the arrival of the trailer for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." As expected, Jason Momoa's maritime hero is seen riding on the back of an overly large sea creature while swinging a giant fork around and shouting "woo!" What more could you ask for? Among the shots of the coral-based carnage, though, there appears to be an all-new MacGuffin that'll be causing issues for the King of Atlantis, and it's not the first time it's been a problem for the one seated on the throne.
As revealed by Arthur's estranged brother, Ocean Master (Patrick Wilson), the Black Trident that Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) has come into possession of almost brought down Atlantis during the reign of King Atlan, who is briefly seen swimming into battle in the trailer. If the face hidden behind the beard and bubbles looks familiar, it's because the actor has already starred in some notable epic entries. Vincent Regan has dabbled in all manner of mythical tales over the years, from standing with Spartans to clashing with Titans to his performance just before this one, as the foil of a brand-new band of pirates who have taken over Netflix by storm.
Vincent Regan captained the Spartans in Zack Snyder's 300
In a film that made a name for plenty of other stars, including Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, and Michael Fassbender, Vincent Regan turned out an impressive performance and an epic war cry as Captain Artemis, loyal war buddy and second-in-command to King Leonidas, who sticks it to the Persians just as much as the rest of the brave 300. Regan is actually at the center of one of the film's most emotional scenes when, in a significant shift from the source material, Artemis' son Astinos (Tom Wisdom) is killed in battle.
In Frank Miller's epic comic book series fictionalizing the Spartans' last stand against the Persian army, Astinos' death is only mentioned. And while Artemis' cries of agony are detailed, he never actually converses with King Leonidas following the incident. But director Zack Snyder's choice to include the captain's heartbreaking monologue certainly feels like the right move, allowing Regan to deliver one of the film's rawest and richest moments of loss for a group of soldiers who seemingly don't fear it.
As King Kepheus, he dared to take on the gods in Clash of the Titans
Four years after he scuffled with the Spartans in "300," Vincent Regan starred alongside the likes of Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and Ralph Fiennes in the "Clash of the Titans" remake helmed by "Fast X" and "The Incredible Hulk" director Louis Leterrier. Stepping off the battlefield for a change, Regan starred as King Kepheus, the ruler of Argos, whose arrogance puts his daughter Andromeda (Alexa Davalos) at risk of being sacrificed to the Kraken. Thankfully, Worthington's heroic demigod steps in to save the day — but not before the king is squashed by the beastie in the film's finale. The original story of His Royal Flatness, however, is very different.
According to Greek mythology, King Cepheus runs into problems with the gods and is close to sacrificing Andromeda to appease them only for Perseus to save her from her fate. Grateful for the deed, he and Queen Cassiopeia (who isn't killed by Hades like in the film) approve of the two being wed. After a few years, Perseus and Andromeda depart — but not before leaving behind their firstborn, Perses, to be heir to Cepheus' throne. And as fate would have it, Perses is the ancestor of the Persians in Greek mythology.
Regan came to the rescue in Luther: The Fallen Sun
Vincent Regan's Dennis McCabe becomes a lifeline for British detective John Luther (Idris Elba) in "Luther: Fallen Sun" when the red tie-wearing legend needs to escape prison for past misdeeds. While the exact nature of their relationship is never really confirmed, it's revealed that McCabe is an associate of John's from the other side of the law. Coincidentally, Regan's role in "Luther: Fallen Sun" feels very similar to Elba's big cameo in "Extraction 2" (which was spoiled by Chris Hemsworth): a man of mystery who can get you out of a jam if need be and who could hopefully return in the future.
Following the release of "Luther: Fallen Sun," Elba told "One Show" hosts Alex Jones and Alex Scott, "We do have the ambition to take it into a franchise because now that you've got a film landscape, you've got bigger budgets, but also, you've just got more story you can tell." Though McCabe's time on-screen was minimal, it'd be great to see more of him, possibly as Luther's right-hand man, with the two working together to bring down another crazed killer.
One Piece saw him lend a hand as Vice Admiral Garp
For fans of the beloved anime and manga series "One Piece," catching a glimpse of Vice Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan) in the series premiere of Netflix's live-action iteration would've undoubtedly put the wind in their sails. And while the revelation that the silver-haired stone-faced pirate-hater is Monkey D. Garp, the grandfather of our straw hat-wearing hero, Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), may have been a total surprise to newcomers to this pirate world, fans of the source material were likely thrown off by just how soon the family link is revealed.
"Garp in the manga is not revealed to be [Luffy's] grandpa until chapter 300-something, in a very different way," showrunner Steve Maeda explained to Variety. But he and co-showrunner Matt Owens got the approval of "One Piece" creator Eiichiro Oda to change course slightly, so all that's left now is to see what part Garp will play in the future now that Season 2 has been given the green light.