With Aquaman hauling in $1.148 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing DC Comics movie yet, it’s unsurprising Warner Bros was eager to move forward with a sequel. As it turns out though, the story that will unfold in Aquaman 2 originated from the mind of its main star, Jason Moma. According to the actor:
I came in with a big pitch. I came in with the whole thing mapped out, and they loved it.
Including his cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Jason Momoa has played Aquaman on the big screen three times now, but his fourth outing in Aquaman 2 will allow him to contribute more than as just an actor. During his extensive conversation with Esquire, Momoa explained that he’ll be “working more actively” with the creative team in developing Aquaman 2, which included him pitching his vision for where the sequel would go.
Evidently the Warner Bros executives liked what he presented them. That said, keep in mind that David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who co-wrote the first Aquaman movie, is back to pen Aquaman 2. So not only will he be the one hashing out specifically what goes down in the sequel, it’s also possible that he worked with Jason Momoa on this general outline.
Still, considering how Aquaman has become one of the most successful DC superheroes of the modern era, it makes sense that Jason Momoa would be more involved in the character’s future, just like how the star of a long-running TV show can eventually become a producer. The DCEU may not be as interconnected going forward as was initially planned, but Aquaman isn’t going anywhere.
So what can we expect from Aquaman 2? Since the movie’s a little over three years away, don’t expect any specific story details for a while. That said, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has confirmed he will reprise Black Manta in the sequel, which isn’t a shocker considering what we saw in the Aquaman mid-credits scene.
In case you need a refresher, Black Manta (real name David Hyde) was thrown off a cliff during his second confrontation with Arthur Curry in Aquaman, but rather than dying, he was rescued by Randall Park’s Dr. Stephen Shin, a marine biologist who’s desperate to find Atlantis. Upon awakening on Shin’s ship, he agreed to show the scientist where the underwater kingdom was in exchange for his help in seeking revenge on Arthur. The stage is set for Aquaman vs. Black Manta: Round 3.
Although a deal hasn’t been cemented just yet (at least, not as far as the public knows), it’s expected that once James Wan is finished with his next horror movie, he’ll return to direct Aquaman 2. Additionally, there’s a spinoff centered on the monstrous Trench in the works that Wan is producing and Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald are writing the script.
Aquaman 2 dives into theaters on December 16, 2022, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news on how it’s coming along. For now, keep up to date with what other DC movies are on the way in our handy guide.
