The DCEU as we knew it ended with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which struggled at the box office. The sequel (which is streaming with a Max subscription), featured a number of returning characters, including Amber Heard's reduced role as Mera. It turns out Aquaman 2 nearly brought back a returning character from the first movie. Here’s what went wrong.
When the Aquaman 2 cast list became official online, it was clear that we'd be missing out on some characters such as Willem Dafoe's Vulko. Actor Michael Beach played Black Manta's father Jesse Kane in the first movie, and recently told ComicBook that he was originally going to appear in the sequel via flashbacks. In his words:
They actually talked to me about shooting a couple of scenes in Aquaman 2, obviously flashback things, but we weren't able to do it because of scheduling and stuff. Instead, they just put a couple of clips from the first one in there to remind the audience as to why Black Manta hates Aquaman so much.
Well, my FOMO is through the roof. Black Manta's quest for vengeance against Aquaman and the Atlantans goes back to Jason Momoa killing his father during a conflict under the sea. So it would have made sense if The Lost Kingdom fleshed out that father/son relationship for moviegoers who maybe missed the previous entry.
Alas, Beach did not end up having a role in Aquaman 2. CinemaBlend's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom review criticized the movie's quality after James Wan's original, which was the highest grossing DC movie upon its release. Perhaps bringing back Black Manta's father would have helped the audience understand his motivation better, even before he was possessed by a dark force.
There was a very long gap between the two Aquaman movies, where a ton changed behind the scenes. That includes James Gunn and Peter Safran being named co-CEOs of DC Studios, and crafting an entirely new shared universe. It's still unclear what will come with the new universe, but it seemingly contributed to the last few releases like Aquaman 2 fizzling out at the theaters. After all, why should fans come out to theaters to see movies that ultimately won't be canon anymore?
Ultimately scheduling prevented Michael Beach from reprising his Aquaman role for the sequel. Black Manta's backstory was instead told through exposition, and references to what went down in the opening sequence of the original film.
It should be fascinating to see what comes in the new DCU, with its first set of projects titled Gods and Monsters. It's unclear if/when Aquaman lore will factor in or who might play Arthur Curry. Jason Momoa teased a meeting with Gunn, but fans think he might be playing another character like Lobo.
The DCEU is streaming now on Max, and the DCU will begin with Superman on July 11th, 2025. In the meantime, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trip to the theater next year.
