Aquaman 2 Kills The DCEU Without Even A Red Carpet Premiere
No one will be rolling out the red carpet for Aquaman. Instead, Aquaman 2 appears to be going out with something much less than a bang, a far fall for a franchise that seemed to be on top of the world (or king of the ocean at least).
No Fancy Aquaman 2 Premiere
Instead of a fancy red carpet premiere, Aquaman 2 opted for a blue carpet and smaller-scale pre-reception paired with a small fan screening with Jason Momoa and James Wan at The Grove in LA.
It’s a bit of an anti-climatic end to the DCEU before James Gunn’s DCU officially kicks off with Superman: Legacy in 2025.
Aquaman 2 sees Jason Momoa return as the titular hero, who must team up with his brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to protect the kingdom of Atlantis from the vengeful fury of Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his mythical Black Trident. Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman also star, while James Wan directs. The film is set to hit theaters this Friday.
Jason Momoa Done As Aquaman?
Presumably, this will be Jason Momoa’s last hurrah as Aquaman, with the DCEU ending its decade-long reign that started with Man of Steel in 2013.
Since then, the DCEU has been a rollercoaster of quality, with fans gradually becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of the films and the grim direction that Zack Synder was taking the franchise.
Aquaman 2 will mark the end of this era, and the whole DC film universe will start fresh with the aforementioned Superman: Legacy.
If James Gunn Wants Him Back
Jason Momoa himself has said he doesn’t see much possibility of him returning to the role after Aquaman 2, though he has expressed interest in doing it if James Gunn wants to and if the fans want him back.
However, James Gunn and Peter Safran have already laid out comprehensive plans for the future of the DCU. Gunn has dubbed the first phase of this new cinematic universe Chapter One: Gods and Monsters and has films and TV shows planned out for at least the next few years.
No Mention Of More Aquaman
Amongst the announced projects, there was no mention of a new Aquaman film or TV series, so Aquaman 2 may be the last time we see the character on screen for a while.
However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to look forward to. Gunn and Safran have projects for Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Swamp Thing, the Creature Commandos, Booster Gold, the Green Lanterns, and more.
James Gunn Taking Over
James Gunn impressed DC fans (and apparently Warner Bros. Discovery) when he made Suicide Squad and Peacemaker for the DCEU.
These were some of the best projects of the era, so it’s no surprise Warner Bros. Discovery passed the reins over to Gunn to lead the charge on a brand reset.
However, some fans are still hoping to see well-cast roles like Jason Momoa return as Aquaman at some point.
More Jason Momoa Coming
Just because Aquaman 2 may be the last time we see Jason Momoa as Aquaman, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t play someone else in the DCU. Momoa has expressed extreme interest in playing Lobo, and that would be the perfect character for James Gunn to introduce.
In the meantime, you can check out the final film of the DCEU when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters this weekend.
