This is the final end of a long, long DCEU crap show. Aquaman 2 just had its first major trailer release, and the movie looks like one of the better DC films…but it unfortunately suffers from the little fact that it’s a DCEU film!
Would DC really continue the DCEU if this film is successful? I pray to God not.
Despite being the last film in a near-dead DC continuity, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (or Aquaman 2) just had its first major trailer release, and the movie actually looks very compelling. Yet, even though Aquaman has been the only unblemished success in the DCEU, I think this film is almost doomed to fail from the start.
Now, let me be clear, I think this film could be one of the very best DCEU films ever. The original Aquaman was one of the Top-3 DCEU films already (probably 3rd behind Justice League Snyder Cut and Wonder Woman 1) and it was the only film to earn $1B+ at the box office, so this film has every chance of being a really great movie.
And those chances only increase with Jason Momoa returning as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry, James Wan as director, and casting Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta (who’s costume design looked INSANELY GOOD!).
I’ve never been the biggest fan of the DCEU CGI or the special effects, but Aquaman has always had pretty decent effects and designs on Atlantis and I’m glad to see the VFX and CGI teams have kept the similar ideas and concepts for Aquaman 2. Moreover, as I just said, I think Black Manta looked GREAT and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II looks like he’s portraying the character in a very compelling, revenge and rage-fulled manner that we all know and love about Black Manta from the comics.
Essentially, I have no major issues or flaws to point out about the movie aside from the obvious elephant in the room…or more like whale in the ocean since we’re talking about Aquaman here: Amber Heard as Mera.
Honestly, I really don’t think she’s going to have all that much a role in this film, which is kind of funny given she is most likely the mother of Aquaman’s child and the trailer made his fatherhood seem like an important element of the plot, as the reshoots this film had were mostly about her role. She’s probably going to be in about 20 minutes at most and even that time is going to be her sitting on screen as a background character.
So, you’re probably wondering why I think this movie is going to flop, right? Well, I think it’s going to flop due to it being cursed as a DCEU film.
(Warner Bros. Discovery-Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom-Trailer)
Now, when I say “flop”, I don’t mean it in the traditional sense of the movie having poor reviews or low box office hauls, but rather as a successful staple of the DC brand. This film is the VERY LAST DCEU MOVIE to ever be released (if Warner Bros. can control itself and not give in to the urge of making another movie), which leaves the any future story arc or relevancy to the central DC plotline null and void.
Even if Jason Momoa has a brilliant Aquaman performance and the movie makes $1B at the box office (which I’m skeptical it will), it would be silly for James Gunn to keep him and these Aquaman character portrayals in his new DC continuity as that would break the whole purpose of moving on from the DCEU.
Warner Bros. literally can’t do anything with this story, portrayal, or actors after this film if they want James Gunn’s DC continuity to succeed and separate itself from the DCEU, yet scrapping the movie would also be silly as the Aquaman franchise is the only successful part of the DCEU. That’s how royally screwed up Warner Bros. and DC have become due to the DCEU’s horrible failures.
So, unfortunately, Aquaman 2 is going to be a lame duck movie with no potential for a spinoff, DCEU resurrection (well, I pray it won’t), or inclusion into a new DC timeline. Could you get anymore lame duck than that?
Images Source: Featured Image: (Warner Bros. Discovery/DC) (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Trailer – YouTube)
In Text Image 1: (Warner Bros. Discovery/DC) (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Trailer – YouTube)
