Fans looking forward to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom were convinced that King Shark would be in the sequel when early rumors surfaced that the film would have a giant shark villain. Of course, the character already appeared in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad which led fans to speculate that more members of Taskforce X might be showing up.
But it turned out those rumors were way off as the giant shark character set to appear was Karshon.
DC Comics' Karshon, also referred to sometimes as the Shark, is a little known villain who made his debut in 1964's Green Lantern (Volume 2) #24.
A nuclear explosion caused a mutation in the tiger shark Karshon. He gained the ability breathe on land, psychic powers, and superhuman intelligence as a result of the explosion. Additionally, Karshon had the capacity to instill terror in his foes.
Actress Indya Moore (Pose, Nimona) is playing the character in the film and James Wan has confirmed that the character won't physically be a shark, she'll be a political one.
"This Karshon is not a shark character. It’s different [from] the comic books in that sense. One of the things we wanted to do, now that Arthur is king of Atlantis, is to give him barriers within the political world. Karshon comes from the High Council, and is like a political roadblock for Arthur."
Jason Momoa's (Dune, Fast X) won't just have to contend with the machinations of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's (Candyman, The Matrix Revolutions) Black Manta while keeping a watchful eye on his brother, Orm, played by Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, Insidious: The Red Door). He'll also have to deal with all the trappings that come with being a king.
The film will also see Nicole Kidman (The Hours, Big Little Lies) return as Aquaman's mother, Atlanna.
Appearing in supporting roles are Amber Heard (The Stand, The Danish Girl) as Mera, Dolph Lundgren (Expend4bles) as Nereus, Temuera Morrison (The Book of Boba Fett) as Tom Curry, and Randall Park (WandaVision) as Dr. Stephen Shin. Additionally, Pilou Asbæk (Ghost in the Shell, Uncharted) has an undisclosed role in the film.
Wan is directing the sequel from a script written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (The Conjuring 2, Aquaman).
The official synopsis for the film reads, "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."
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits North American theaters on December 22, 2023.