Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomis set to be the final nail in the coffin for the scrapped DCEU initiative. Now it looks like early impressions for the films are not better than many Warner Bros. productions that preceded it, at least according to several online sources.
DC’s next movie in line isShazam! Fury of the Gods, but the studio’s tentpole movie for 2023 is stillThe Flash, especially after its Super Bowl trailer premiere wowed so many people and given the movie’s role in setting upJames Gunn’s new DC Universe. Nevertheless, another quality distinguishingThe Flashfrom its contemporaries is that Warner executives are reportedly optimistic about its potential due to positive test screenings, which is allegedly the opposite of whatAquamanhas been going through.
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The news comes from Big Screen Leaks (@bigscreenleaks), who picked up on reports from an anonymous Reddit user called ViewerAnon that claimed after “a dozen test screenings in,”Aquaman 2is looking far from great. ViewerAnon called it “boring, not as good as the first” and placed it towards the lower end of DC movies. BSL backed up that opinion by citing the many inconveniences James Wan has had to deal with when makingAquamam and The Lost Kingdom.
Besides thecontroversy surrounding Amber Heardand her defamation trial opposite Johnny Depp, the movie has been hit with rumors that the alleged Batman cameos that featured Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck at some point were cut for these screenings. These reports follow news thatAquamanstar Jason Momoa has been looking to ditch the seven seas in favor of playing the DC character Lobo in the future. Momoa has been teasing a “dream” DC project, but details are scarce.
It’s even unclear if Affleck will show up inAquaman 2.However, it’s been reported that Heard doesn’t have much screen time, among the negative consequences the actress’ attorneys claimed she suffered during the infamous trial proceedings. For his part,Gunn’s presentation of his DC slatedid mention theShazamsequel andBlue Beetleas films that existed on their own, butAquaman 2’s December release makes it look like even more of an afterthought for the studio.
Despite its flaws,the firstAquamanfilmbecame one of the DCEU’s biggest hits by making $1.119 billion. However, the sequel’s reported $205M budget and the generally worse landscape for superhero blockbusters in 2023 could turnAquaman and the Lost Kingdominto a liability if the movie is not up to par.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomis scheduled for release on June 24, 2025.
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