The DCEU has always been chock full of twists, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. The next upcoming DC movie hitting theaters is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which will mark the final installment of the current shared universe before a new one begins. Filmmaker James Wan is once again behind the camera for the sequel, and recently addressed that popular (but extremely dark) theory about Aquaman 2. Let’s break it all down.
What we know about Aquaman 2 is fairly limited, so there are a number of theories and rumors about what’s going to happen in the long-awaited blockbuster. The trailer for Aquaman 2 teased the conflict with Black Manta, inspired by a similar conflict from the comics. Those familiar with his adventures on the page are particularly worried that the villain will end up killing Arthur Curry’s young son. James Wan recently appeared at CCXP23 (via YouTube), where he was asked explicitly about that dark rumor. He responded coyly, sharing:
We'll see. That'd be dark.
No kidding, Mr. Wan. But since Manta killed Arthur’s son in the DC comics, it doesn’t seem totally out of the question for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. We’ll just have to wait and see when the movie arrives this Christmas. That’s only one of the major questions currently surrounding the DC flick.
James Wan’s comments are sure to increase fan theories about what will or won’t happen to the cast of Aquaman 2 during its runtime. Fans are curious about how the movie goes down, including Amber Heard’s reduced role as Mera. Indeed, fans have noticed how Heard has been noticeably missing from Aquaman 2’s trailers, seemingly as a result of backlash surrounding her legal battle against Johnny Depp.
Director: James Wan
Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Release Date/Platform: December 20th in theaters.
While there is comic precedence for Aquaman’s son to be killed, it would definitely be a dark twist for The Lost Kingdom. This is especially true since the movie is rated PG-13, and is supposed to be pretty family friendly. James Wan himself said that would be super dark for the underwater franchise, but he didn’t actually deny that it was in his movie.
As previously mentioned, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will end up being the final chapter of the DCEU as we know it. James Gunn and Peter Safran were named co-CEOs of the studio, and are crafting a brand new shared universe. Given this information, it should be fascinating to see if moviegoers actually turn out in theaters to see the new DC flick. It looks like the sequel will be the hulking actor’s final bow as Aquaman, although Momoa has had talks with Gunn about his DC future and is rumored to be playing Lobo moving forward.
Aqauman and the Lost Kingdom will hit theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
