Following the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash, and with Blue Beetle now said to be part of the new DC Universe shared continuity, that leaves just one upcoming DC movie left that’s still tied to the DC Extended Universe: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. After that, the DC Universe will first kick off with the animated Creature Commandos series next year, followed by Superman: Legacy in 2025. But despite the DCEU soon coming to a close, Aquaman 2 director James Wan has explained why it’s still worth seeing the sequel.
We’re six months out from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s release, and by the time it is playing on the silver screen, five years will have passed since the first Aquaman movie came out and went on to become the highest-grossing DC movie of all time. While speaking with ComicBook.com, Wan explained that because like its predecessor, Aquaman 2 is delivering a standalone story, that means it’s still worth your time since it’s not really touching the wider DCEU mythology that’s wrapping up. In his words:
Well, Aquaman – even the first film – has always been a very standalone film. That was always our approach: that it kind of lives in its own world, and that's kind of how we've approached The Lost Kingdom as well. You know, people love Jason Momoa; people love him playing this role; and people love the action visuals of this space and this world. And that's what we're doing: we're taking it to the next level and we are still expanding – and just any fans of Aquaman the character, that love Black Manta, this is the next level and I'm very excited to finally put out there to show them what we've been working on all these years.
This statement follows almost a month after James Wan said how because “the Aquaman universe is pretty far removed from the rest of the world,” he barely needed to worry about the changes happening at DC Studios outside of a few “adjustments.” Will Aquaman 2 effectively conclude the DCEU era? Working off the available information, it doesn’t sound like it will, but that’s not the point. Wan was focused on delivering a compelling follow-up to Aquaman, so if you’re in the market to watch Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manta clash again, amidst other events happening across the Seven Seas, then that makes The Lost Kingdom worth your time.
Also keep in mind that just because Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be the last DCEU movie doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily be the last we see of Momoa as the underwater-breathing superhero. The actor indicated that he expects Aquaman to be involved in the DC Universe, and there’s a line in The Flash possibly teasing that Momoa will keep playing the character. That remains to be officially confirmed, but in the meantime, the Aquaman sequel will see Arthur teaming up with his half-brother, Patrick Wilson’s Orm, to protect Atlantis after a ancient power is unleashed. The Lost Kingdom’s cast also includes Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman and Randall Park reprising their roles, and newcomers like Vincent Regan, India Moore, Jai Zhao and Pilou Asbæk.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom dives into theaters on December 20. Max subscribers can easily revisit Aquaman and Jason Momoa’s other DCEU appearances prior to the sequel’s release, and obviously we’ll keep you apprised on all the biggest news concerning the new DC Universe.
