No matter how you feel about the DC Extended Universe, when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is released next month, it will be the end of an era.
Some are bound to be pleased when it finally concludes, while others no doubt plan to continue pursuing Warner Bros. Discovery in a never-ending quest to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse. Either way, the Aquaman sequel is going to be this shared world's final chapter before DC Studios' DCU reboot; the question now is, can the sequel help this troubled franchise go out on a high?
A new Japanese trailer has been released today which, simply put, probably won't change the minds of those who have had their doubts. Packed full of silly moments and Fast and Furious-style wackiness (no great shock with James Wan at the helm), the footage is doused in colour and puts Arthur Curry and Orm's unlikely partnership front and centre.
High stakes are also teased, though the preview ends with Aquaman being attacked by a colourful squid.
If what you see here doesn't so much as raise a smile, then Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom probably isn't for you! Still, we'd be lying to say it doesn't look fun and the best-reviewed DCEU movies are those which have borrowed heavily from the MCU's tone (Shazam! and the first Aquaman, for example).
Check out this new footage from the sequel in the Tweet/X below.
Director James Wan and Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa - along with Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Nicole Kidman - return in the sequel to the highest-grossing DC film of all time: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.
The screenplay is by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, from a story by James Wan & David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Jason Momoa & Thomas Pa'a Sibbett.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be released on December 22.