Director James Wan is set to go back underwater, deep into the heart of the ocean, and have fun with his buddy Arthur Curry. The filmmaker took to his Instagram Thursday to reveal that the title of Aquaman 2 is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Warner Bros. then confirmed this on Twitter and to io9.
Wan has been working on the film for awhile, and his post (which you can see below) makes it seem like production is getting closer and closer. Not much is known about the plot, beyond what we can glean from where the first film left off. Jason Momoa will return as Aquaman himself, Arthur Curry, who is now the rightful King of Atlantis after his defeat of his brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) in the original movie. Of course, he’ll be joined by Mera (Amber Heard). The last film’s end credits scene also teased that Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) might return as well, though that hasn’t been confirmed. Dolph Lundgren, who plays King Nereus of the Xebellian people, also said he’s coming back. And oddly, it’s that last bit that’s key.
What Is the Lost Kingdom?
Long ago, an Aquaman poster came out that said “Unite the Seven.” Fans took that to mean seven members of the Justice League—but really, it meant the seven kingdoms of Atlantis: Trench, Brine, Xebellian, the Fisherman kingdom, the Atlanteans, the Deserters, and a long-lost kingdom. Yes. That “Lost Kingdom.” It sure sounds like even more so than the first film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be about Arthur attempting to unite all the kingdoms of the ocean, and learning more about why this one kingdom was lost along the way.
You also have to assume there will be some mention of something else happening in the DC Universe. What that means post-Zack Snyder’s Justice League, we have no idea. But Shazam is out there. Black Adam, too, by the time this film is out. There’s also The Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman, so who knows?
James Wan knows. And he’s bringing Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to theaters December 16, 2022. Tell us what you think of the new title below.
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DISCUSSION
I think that the DCEU is going to shy away from the kind of longform storytelling that the MCU is known for — the dropped hints, the cameos, the references to later plotlines, those are things that the DCEU has not, really, been any good at.
The DCEU is good at, well, making standalone movies. The first Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, Shazam, and Aquaman all were good on their own and the only one who had a post-credits scene was Shazam (and that won’t be followed up with the next one, so I guessing David F. Sandberg is going to try for a trilogy while the kids are young).
Zack Snyder was the only one who peppered his films with references to long term plans, but his plans were, uh, bad, so there is no way DC is going to follow up on them.
Still, having a bunch of good standalone superhero movies is no easy feat and having a contrast to the MCU is, well, nice. Let the filmmakers do what they want -- step away from any “house style” and let the movies be weird. That’s how the DCEU is going to make their own thing.