Exclusive: Willem Dafoe’s Fate In Aquaman 2 Revealed
Our proven and trusted inside sources have informed us what happens to Willem Dafoe's Vulko in Aquaman 2 and maybe you should sit down.
Update December 2023: This Giant Freakin Robot exclusive was confirmed, and Willem Dafoe’s Vulko was considered deceased in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The one distinction here is that Dafoe didn’t appear in the movie at all. Vulko was said to have been killed off prior to the events of the movie because of a plague released by Black Manta.
Willem Dafoe is one of our most talented and beloved actors, and any franchise would be lucky to have him. While his most famous comic book role is undoubtedly that of Norman Osborn, aka The Green Goblin in the Spider-Man films, he also has lent his gravelly gravitas to the DC Extended Universe as the character Nuidis Vulko. As the mentor of Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman) and the current vizier of Atlantis, Willem Dafoe has reliably been a fan favorite. Although a relatively minor character in the original comic books, the quality of Dafoe’s acting and star power made him one of the most distinct parts of the first Aquaman movie. That is why we have some regrettable news about Willem Dafoe in the upcoming Aquaman 2.
We’ve learned from one of our trusted and proven inside sources that Willem Dafoe’s Vulko will die in Aquaman 2. This will undoubtedly be a key plot point of the movie, as Vulko essentially helped raise young Arthur Curry and taught him how to fight and all that he knows of the Atlantean people. Although plot details of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are still pretty scarce, it feels like the loss of this important mentor figure will be analogous to the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope.
The exact manner of Willem Dafoe’s death in Aquaman 2 has not been confirmed as of yet, but we could speculate that it will be due to some sacrifice against an attack on Atlantis. The brief synopsis of the film released by Warner Bros prior to this mentioned an “ancient power” that is unleashed on the world, which sure seems like something that might kill a beloved character in some heartrending manner. It seems possible for this to happen early on in the movie to give Aquaman a mission for the rest of the story.
That same synopsis stated that Atlantis will be making an “uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally” over the course of the film, which also opens the door for Willem Dafoe to die in Aquaman 2 due to some kind of betrayal by a so-called ally. Both Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (as Black Manta) and Patrick Wilson as Aquaman’s half-brother Orm have been confirmed to be in the film; as the antagonists of the first movie, it seems possible either (or both) of them could be the “unlikely ally” mentioned and have something to do with Vulko’s death.
The death of an important mentor figure like Willem Dafoe in Aquaman 2 will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the Aquaman series, adding an element of tragedy and danger to star Jason Momoa’s surly charm. Given that this is part of Warner Bros’ DC Extended Universe, there is also no guarantee that Vulko will stay dead, as death in comic books is less a permanent thing than a brief detour in a character arc. If this really is the DCEU getting rid of Willem Dafoe as a character, they had just better do it in a manner that the actor and the character deserve.
