Late last night, 100 days from its theatrical release, Warner Bros. finally debuted the first footage from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom via a 30-second teaser, with the full trailer set to drop this Thursday.
The promo follows recent reports that the studio had "given up" on James Wan's sequel, and basically decided not to spend more money on a massive marketing push for a film which they ultimately expect to flop.
This may or may not be accurate, but early test-screening reports were not good, and, if these new reactions are any indication, The Lost Kingdom has not been significantly improved by its reported three rounds of reshoots.
There are only a couple of Tweets (one of which has since been deleted), but this all lines up with previous reactions and when we've been told by several people who have seen the final version of the movie.
At the end of the day, fans will judge Aquaman 2 for themselves when it hits theaters, and it's worth noting that the first movie was a massive success despite a mixed reaction from critics and DC fans alike.
In addition, one eagle-eyed fans has noticed that Mera (Amber Heard) does appear in the teaser after all... way, way off in the background for a split-second. Apparently, Heard has about 20 minutes of screen-time in the movie.
The Lost Kingdom will be the final DCEU movie before the entire franchise is rebooted(?) in James Wan and Peter Safran's new DCU. We've heard mixed reports about Jason Momoa staying on as Arthur Curry, and there are rumors that he'll actually be taking on a new role (possibly as Lobo) down the line.
In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, when an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation.
The movie stars Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Nicole Kidman (Atlanna), Patrick Wilson (Orm), Amber Heard (Mera), Yahya Adbdul-Mateen II (Black Manta), and Dolph Lundgren (King Nereus), along with newcomers in the form of Pilou Asbæk, Vincent Regan, and Indya Moore.