Julie Andrews has joined the cast of the Aquaman movie in a key role

Yes, really.

Just when we thought we knew the cast for the Aquaman film, producers have managed to sneak in a surprise: Julie Andrews. The Oscar winner and former on-screen Queen of Genovia has been revealed to be playing a previously unannounced role in the DC Comics epic. Producer Peter Safran revealed to Entertainment Weekly that Andrews will voice the Karathen, an underwater creature that "holds the key to Arthur Curry's quest to unite the Atlantean and surface worlds." Although it's not clear if her character is going to be a friend or foe of Jason Momoa's Aquaman. Safran explained that it was a "no-brainer" to cast Andrews in the role. He added:

“We wanted the Karathen to have the voice of a classic British actress, albeit somewhat digitally altered. “And when we found out Julie was interested and available and excited to do it, casting her was a no-brainer.”

Aquaman will be going up against Disney's Mary Poppins Returns - which features Emily Blunt taking over the role of the iconic nanny from Andrews - at the box office next month. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDkg3h8PCVU And the irony wasn't lost on Safran, who joked:

"Who knew that Aquaman would have the real Mary Poppins this Christmas?"

Aquaman is set to arrive in Irish cinemas on December 14.