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‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ may have recast one of its kings

Evidence hints that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has recast a role played by Lord of the Rings icon John Rhys-Davies.

Image via DC Films

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom recently celebrated the end of production, with James Wan saying a sincere thank-you to his U.K., Los Angeles, and Hawaii crew for keeping the shoot on track during COVID-19. Granted, there are likely some reshoots to come over later in 2022, but for now, the film is in the can and ready for post-production. However, a curious detail (first spotted by Murphy’s Multiverse) may hint they’re recasting one of the undersea rulers.

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In Aquaman, Orm asked the undersea kingdoms to acknowledge him as their ruler. But the crustacean Brine King, leader of the Kingdom of the Brine, refused to kneel. With a memorable cry of “You can take my army, you soft-bellied slug, but you will never have my allegiance!” he prepared himself to die with honor, though was saved by Arthur and Mera.

When we last saw him, he was voiced by The Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones star John Rhys-Davies, and up until now, we thought he’d return for the sequel. But actor Antony Gabriel’s profile on casting platform Mandy lists him as playing the character in “Aquaman: Necrus” (Necrus being the working title of the movie).

So what’s going on here? It’s notable that Gabriel is also playing Mr. Mind in Shazam: Fury of the Gods, so is obviously known to Warner Bros for his voice work. It’s also possible that the Brine King has such a small part in Lost Kingdom that there’s no point in hiring Rhys-Davies for what could be a single line or even non-verbal grunting.

Alternatively, Gabriel may have done the mocap for the character and Rhys-Davies the voice, as the two elements were split in the last movie, though he appears to have a history doing voice work.

Let’s hope we get some kind of confirmation soon that clears this up. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on December 16.