While internet rumors should never be taken at face value, if you hear something regularly enough, then there’s sure to be at least a little bit of truth to the speculation. With that in mind, DCU fans have every reason to be concerned about the long-delayed Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Despite finally coming to theaters in December two years behind schedule, reports have offered that James Wan’s blockbuster sequel has been test screening in perpetuity, with the reactions coming out of the previews proving to be less than complimentary. On the plus side, Jason Momoa seems keen to let everyone know he’s got nothing to do with it.
The leading man made plenty of noise about handing a 50-page story treatment over to the studio when Aquaman 2 was in early development, but in an interview with Men’s Health, he intimated the powers-that-be ended up going in a different direction, with the outlet noting that “[Momoa] says Warner Bros. bought but did not follow [the treatment] completely. That bugs him and spins him into an impassioned, salty riff.”
“That’s the reason why I love directing and creating. I don’t wanna just go like, ‘I’m acting. I’ll be in my trailer.’ I love being able to burn for what I believe in. I’ve seen some of the most shocking acting performances firsthand and watched them edited, and they were amazing. I wish I could tell you who it was. I’m like, ‘What the fuck?’ I watched this guy who had to be fucking propped up. They read the lines to him. But this motherfucker killed it when the edit came in and was applauded for it. At that point, I was like, ‘Wow, this shit is made in the edit.’”
Aquaman may not have been the best superhero epic of the modern age, but it was one of the most gloriously unhinged, with the absurdly over-the-top epic roaring to over a billion dollars at the box office.
Based on what we keep hearing, though, The Lost Kingdom will be lucky if it comes close to those numbers, especially when the dismal performance of Shazam! Fury of the Gods hinted that audiences may not be interested in a DCU project that means nothing in the long run when the franchise is about to be rebooted yet again.
