This December will mark three years since Aquaman was released in theaters, and while we briefly reunite with Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry in Zack Snyder’s Justice League earlier this year, we still have yet to see the next chronological chapter of his journey unfold. Fortunately, Aquaman 2, a.k.a. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, has been filming for several months now and on track to arrive in late 2022. The latest update on the sequel’s progress is all casting-related, and it includes a longtime DC Comics villain entering the picture and an important character from the first movie being recast.
Starting off, Indya Moore, who starred as Angel Evangelista in the FX series Pose, has been tapped to play Karshon, who’s been a Green Lantern adversary for decades in the comics, but can easily be thrown into Aquaman’s corner of the DC universe. For those unfamiliar with the character, Karshon was once a regular tiger shark, but after being bombarded by radiation, it rapidly evolved into an intelligent humanoid predator with psionic powers. It’s unclear if this transformation will be retained for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, or if Karshon will simply be one of the “regular” underwater-dwelling humanoids in the DC Extended Universe.
Next from THR, 300 star Vincent Regan will take over the role of King Atlan, who Preacher’s Graham McTavish played in the first Aquaman movie. For those who need a refresher, Atlan was the ruler of Atlantis before it sank into the ocean. In the present day, Arthur Curry found Atlan’s corpse and retrieved the powerful Trident of Atlantis that was still in its grasp. It’s unclear if Atlan’s presence in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will once again be through flashbacks or if some kind of resurrection is in store, like what went down in the comics. Either way, this will be Regan’s second superhero movie, having previously appeared in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
The final new face who’s been unveiled today for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is Portugese actress Jani Zhao, who will be making her English-language debut in the sequel. Zhao will play an original character named Stingray, but it’s unclear if this will be an ally or enemy to our hero and his allies. It’s also been confirmed that WandaVision’s Randall Park will reprise marine biologist Dr. Stephen Shin in Lost Kingdom, having briefly played the character in Aquaman, most notably the mid-credits scene. After rescuing David Kane, a.k.a. Black Manta, Shin asked if the mercenary could show him where Atlantis was located. Manta agreed, provided that Shin help him exact revenge on Arthur Curry.
Along with Jason Momoa, Randall Park and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II returning as Black Manta, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s lineup of familiar faces also includes Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry. It was also reported back in April that Game of Thrones’ Pilou Asbaek was in negotiations to join Aquaman 2, but there’s still no word about his role. Behind the cameras, James Wan and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick both returned to direct and write the screenplay, respectively.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is expected to premiere in theaters on December 16, 2022. Learn what else is in development for the DCEU with our upcoming DC Comics movies guide.
