Aquaman 2 Changes Release Date Again
Aquaman 2 will release on December 20, five days earlier than the originally planned December 25 release.
Aquaman 2 will arrive in theaters on December 20, five days earlier than expected. The announcement comes amid a recent shuffle of DC Studios films which affected Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle. The latest change will see Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom in competition with the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel, which opens on the same day.
According to Deadline, the studio’s September 22 slot, which was reserved for an untitled DC movie, has been removed from the schedule. Aquaman 2 serves as a direct sequel to its 2018 predecessor. The film is directed by James Wan from a script by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. The story sees Aquaman forge an uneasy alliance after an ancient power is unleashed to destroy Atlantis.
Aquaman 2 will see Jason Momoa reprising his role as Arthur Curry/Aquaman alongside Patrick Wilson as Orm. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appears as Black Manta, with Amber Heard as Mera. Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman, and Dolph Lundgren will also star. Ben Affleck is expected to return as Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Randall Park will also be featured in Aquaman 2 as Doctor Stephen Shin, a marine biologist obsessed with finding Atlantis. Vincent Regan appears as the first king of Atlantis, Atlan. Jani Zhao stars as Stingray, with Indya Moore as Karshon. Pilou Asbæk has also been cast in an undisclosed role.
While The Flash is expected to reset the DC Extended Universe, Aquaman 2 will serve as the end of the previous chapter. The movie is the last green-lit project to be released before the James Gunn/Peter Safran era. The duo’s revamped superhero lineup is expected to debut with Superman: Legacy on July 11, 2025. As such, Jason Momoa’s future in the franchise is currently unknown.
Rumors suggest that Gunn and Safran plan to repackage the Aquaman 2 actor as Lobo. Although Jason Momoa did not confirm these reports, he emphatically told Variety that he will always be Aquaman. “Ain’t anyone coming in there and taking s**t,” the actor said, adding that he might be playing other characters too. “I can be funny and savage and charming.”
Momoa’s potential role as Lobo has received mixed reactions from fans. While some were sad and disappointed that the Aquaman 2 star could be leaving the Aquaman franchise, others see his potential new gig as an upgrade. The Last Czarnian was created by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen. Lobo first appeared in 1983’s Omega Men #3.
Meanwhile, rumor says the initial test screenings for Aquaman 2 have been poor. The self-proclaimed insider also claimed that there was an unexpected reaction during one of the showings, which had never happened before (aka, mass walkouts). But fans shouldn’t take this revelation too seriously. Critics shared a similar sentiment before the release of 2018’s Aquaman.
The first film went on to gross $1.150 billion at the global box office, becoming the highest-earning installment in the DC Extended Universe and the highest-grossing film based on any DC character. It will be interesting to see if Aquaman 2 can match its success.
