This article contains Aquaman spoilers.
The conclusion of the Aquaman movie certainly left the door open for Aquaman 2 to happen. Whether it’s Arthur’s conciliatory “we’ll talk” to Patrick Wilson’s Orm after their climactic confrontation (which teases the possibility that Ocean Master will return) or the post-credits scene that has much wider implications for Black Manta’s eventual emergence as one of the most important villains in Aquaman history, there’s plenty of reason to believe that Aquaman 2 could make a bigger creative splash than the first film.
When I spoke to James Wan shortly before the movie’s release, he wasn’t ready to talk about how those could be explored if Aquaman 2 were to happen. “I don’t think about sequels before the first movie has even come out,” Wan said. “That’s just who I am. I’m highly superstitious.”
But he also added that “a sequel is literally up to the audience. It’s not up to us.” But the audience spoke loud and clear as Aquaman cruised to a billion dollar box office haul. Reviews were mostly positive, and it certainly didn’t generate the kind of backlash that a number of other DCEU movies have seen, a trend that was continued with the critically beloved modest box office success of Shazam!. So the studio wasted no time in getting Aquaman 2 on the schedule.
The good news is that James Wan is interested in returning for Aquaman 2. Deadline reported in 2019 that Wan is expected to “oversee the development” of the film, and he’ll decide whether or not to direct it after a script has been settled on. For all of the first movie’s charms, its screenplay wasn’t its strongest suit, so maybe this will help improve that aspect of it. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who wrote the first film, has been named as the Aquaman 2 writer, according to The Wrap. We’ll see if this script prompts Wan to sign back on as director.
Aquaman 2 Cast
Nothing has been confirmed, of course, but it’s a safe bet that Jason Momoa will return as Arthur Curry, Amber Heard will be back as Mera, and hopefully Willem DaFoe will come back for another turn as Vulko. Could Patrick Wilson’s Orm return? It sure sounds that way!
Aquaman 2 Story
“I’m excited to continue the journeys of our heroes, and antiheroes for that matter, and to continue to expand on the world with number two,” Wan said at DC Fandome earlier this year. “Try to do new things I didn’t get around to on the first film. Try something fresh. And the second one, I would say, is a little more serious, a little more relevant in the world we’re living in today. And I think that’s kind of where it wants to go.”
In addition to all the stories about Ocean Master and Black Manta that could form the basis of Aquaman 2, there are all the other elements of Atlantean and Aquaman history that have been seeded throughout DC Comics history.
Any hope that Arthur and Mera would be squaring off against the Trench again in the sequel would seem to be shattered by the announcement of a horror-focused Trench spinoff movie of their own. But who knows? There’s over 75 years of Aquaman history to draw from, so there are plenty of undersea epic adventures to explore!
We’ll update this with more information as it becomes available.
Aquaman 2 Release Date
Warner Bros. is moving quickly to make Aquaman 2 a reality, marking a Dec. 16, 2022 release date on their calendar for it. That December window served the first movie well, and it should do just as well this time around. However, don’t be surprised if there’s a delay here, as Hollywood continues to deal with the ongoing fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.