The first Aquaman movie in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) starring Jason Momoa was a smashing hit. It is in fact, one of the highest-grossing DC Comics adaptations, having said, that it was only a matter of time that its sequel was talked about. Well, there is a sequel in the works and the title has finally been revealed – Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Alongside Peter Safran, James Wan will be producing as well as directing the megahit. Wan shared a picture hinting the title and captioned the imaged, "The tide is rising." David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, co-writer of the first film, will also be returning to write the sequel.
Apart from that, here’s what we know:
Plot
The first movie released in 2018. It shows the kingdom of Atlantis – a technologically advanced empire - that sank into the ocean after some inventions backfired. The sunken kingdom broke into seven pieces which formed seven underwater kingdoms - Atlantis, Xebel, Kingdom of the Trench, Kingdom of the Brine, Kingdom of the Fishermen, and Kingdom of the Deserters.
However, only four kingdoms actually thrived. Further in the movie, Arthur (Momoa) and Mera (Amber Heard) go on a quest to find the trident of Atlan, the ruler of Atlantis, in the first movie. Meanwhile, the kingdoms are vanishing in the movie and since little is known about the history of that kingdom there is a big chance that the sequel will concentrate on that. Since the upcoming movie’s title is the Lost Kingdom, maybe we’ll get what we are looking for.
In the first film, Arthur is no king. Although, through the movie he goes through a hero’s journey and eventually take his place as the rightful king of the seas. But here's the question - what does that mean for Aquaman? It’s possible that in the sequel Aquaman struggles to rule or just about how he assumes the responsibilities. Will the seven kingdoms - which he’s united - stay loyal to him? In the comics he's got a betrayers in his midst, maybe that part of the literature will also play a part in the movie.
In Aquaman‘s mid-credits scene there was a tease too and it surely implied an important role for Black Manta in the sequel. In the scene, one can see Black Manta a.k.a. David Kane recovering after being rescued by fishermen.
Cast
Since the Aquaman is Jason Momoa, naturally he will be reprising his role as Arthur Curry. Other returning cast members include Amber Heard who will be essaying Mera and Patrick Wilson who will reprise the role of Arthur’s half-brother Orm Marius.
Yahya Abdul-Matteen II also confirmed that he too will appear in the sequel as David Kane/Black Manta in a tweet. The actor, who is quite active on the micro-blogging website, shared a small clip confirming his part in the upcoming Aquaman. In the video, the actor can be seen setting his hair. He captioned it, “Aquaman 2 prep” and wrote “#wavecheck!!” on the GIF.
There is also news that the Game of Thrones actor Pilou Asbaek is also onboard but his role remains undisclosed.
Release date
While there is no news on the the trailer release, the film is currently slated for theatres on December 16, 2022.
For more on Aquaman 2 watch this space.
