Released in 2018, Aquaman turned out to be a breath of fresh year for the DCEU after the disappointing release of Justice League. Not only did the movie become a billion-dollar hit but it added a much-needed levity into the DC franchise.
Aquaman, directed by James Wan, centers around a character of Arthur, played by Jason Momoa, whom we have so dearly loved as Kahl Drogo in Game of Thrones.
Although it was not expected that a live-action solo movie based on a character who has just been introduced and is facing intense competition will smash the box office, but Aquaman turned out to be a shocker for everyone.
Set some time after the events of Justice League, Aquaman follows the story of Arthur’s attempt to claim the Kingdom of Atlantis from his notorious brother Orm. Hell-bent on enticing a burning war between peoples of above and below sea levels, we saw Orm recruiting the help of Black Manta to become the Ocean Master in Aquaman.
Later we saw that Arthur, being the only hope for Atlan, realizing his responsibilities and with the support of all the forces beating Orm out of the sea. In the post-credit scene, Black Manta was swearing revenge against Arthur.
The project naturally generated a kind of excitement for DC. Therefore, instantly after the release of Aquaman, Warner Bros announced the development of the sequel with James Wan once again directing the project. Wan told fans that the currently untitled Aquaman might take on a completely different track.
To find out more about the release date, cast, and latest news for Aquaman 2, keep on reading!
When Is the Release of Aquaman 2?
It is typical for big Hollywood franchises to produce and release sequels within a year of the release of the original movie.
This is mostly because they do not want the heat to die down, and of course, as more time passes, the audience gets distracted. And Warner Bros is taking a lot of time with Aquaman 2 as according to official announcements, the major-hit follow-up is scheduled to be in theatres on December 16, 2022, four years after its predecessors. It is a lot of time!
Why do you think Warner Bros is taking this much time for Aquaman 2? Producer Peter Safran has also noted that filmmakers are in no rush to release the blockbuster sequel of Aquaman, believing that more production time will result in an ultimately beneficial final product.
But it may not be a legitimate reason because films like Aquaman require appropriate time to clear the logistic standpoint.
Let us agree that creating that underwater environment is not a piece of cake. But another most important thing is that many DC projects are still underway and are set to release between now and December 2022.
The DCEU projects that are currently under pipeline are James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, Matt Reeve’s Batman, Jaume Collet-Serra’s Black Adam, and David F. Sandberg’s Shazam 2. With all these blockbusters releasing between 2020 and 2022, DC and WB must have a lot of work going on.
Aquaman 2 – Cast
Warner Bros has not announced an official cast for the upcoming sequel, but Jason Momoa might be returning as Arthur Curry or Aquaman.
There are also some rumors about Emilia Clark joining the aqua world as Mera, but nobody can authenticate this rumor as of now. For now, we can assume that Amber Heard might join the franchise again as Mera.
Patrick Wilson has confirmed his comeback as Orm in Aquaman 2. He also hinted in an interview with Digital Spy that he has been “briefed” by Director Wan about his upcoming role as deposed ruler of Atlantis. He teased that “James Wan’s notions of Aquaman 2 are pushing it even further”
Talking about the big villain Black Manta, in an interview Yahya Abdul Mateen has also confirmed that he is returning for the sequel. Talking to the Digital Spy he said that Black Manta is all set to feature in Aquaman 2 and he will surely be causing more trouble.
Other cast members that you can expect to see in the return of Aquaman are Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, and Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko. But no official news about the cast has come yet.
Plot Hints of Aquaman 2: What Will It Be About?
If we refer to the post-credit scene of Aquaman, it makes sense to assume that it will certainly be about Black Manta plotting to demand vengeance for Aquaman’s Transgressions.
In the first film, we have seen the complete origin story of both Arthur Curry and Black Manta. So, in the second movie, they are both going to unleash their full potentials. Both characters have fifty-years’ worth of comic book history to look for ideas.
Aquaman 2 is going to be more intense in terms of the storyline. With Arthur having more powers now, we can expect a timeless clash between the forces of Aquaman and Black Manta. Moreover, Orm is also going to make a return as Patrick Wilson has already confirmed.
Wilson said in an interview to Radio Times that he is also curious about what is going to happen in Aquaman 2 but he holds a lot of respect for Wan’s work and he is fine with staying out of the game for now.
He also jokingly said that he just does not want to know too many things because he does not want James Wan to go like “Can’t tell you yet”.
During an interview in August 2020, director Wan claimed that the next Aquaman movie will be different in terms of style.
Talking to DC Fan Dome, he said that Aquaman 2 will be a little more serious in terms of tone, and the storyline will be more relevant to the world we are living in today. He added while referring to the story that “I think that is where it wants to go”.
We believe James Wan and have our fingers crossed for the blockbuster release of Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022.
