The Flash may make Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's villain story even more tragic and inescapable. Jason Momoa's first solo adventure as Arthur Curry surpassed expectations, with the movie going on to gross $1.149 billion at the worldwide box office. That made 2018's Aquaman become not only the highest-grossing DCEU film by a comfortable margin, with second place going to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with $872.7 million, but also the biggest win for DC at the box office ever. Based on that, it will be interesting to see if Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's story proves itself as gripping as the first film's did.
One important aspect of that story will be impacted by the events of Ezra Miller's The Flash movie. In The Flash, Miller's Barry Allen goes back in time to save his mother's life, which leads to a multiverse-wide adventure for the speedster. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn said that The Flash resets the DCEU, with the new DC Universe taking its place. If that does happen, then Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which releases six months after The Flash, could already be a part of the new DC Universe. That means The Flash will likely lead to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's villain story being even more brutal.
The Flash Can Make Black Manta's Origin Story More Tragic
The Flash rebooting the DC Universe leads to Aquaman and Black Manta's connection being stronger than it was in the first movie, with the two characters being "destined nemesis," as the villain, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, will be back to serve as the main antagonist of the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. With The Flash rebooting the DCEU into the new DC Universe, Aquaman and Black Manta would be rivals in two separate universes, showing the level of hatred that matchup conveys. The universe reset could also lead to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom making Black Manta's story more tragic.
Director James Wan revealed that Aquaman 2 made changes to accommodate the DC Universe's shifts since Gunn and Peter Safran arrived. Perhaps one of those changes will lead to Black Manta's origin story becoming even more tragic. The first version of the character's origin included a young Black Manta being kidnapped by pirates and becoming a slave. One day, the child saw Aquaman swim by the pirates' ship and tried to call for help, only for the hero to not notice him, which led to Black Manta holding a lifelong grudge that he would pursue after killing his captors.
The Flash Can Make Black Manta's DC Movies Story Even Closer To The Comics
Aquaman brought to life a version of Black Manta's more recent origin story from DC Comics' New 52 continuity. To follow up on that, The Flash could lead to a change in the timeline to allow Black Manta's origin story to be closer to the comics and differentiate the DCEU and the new DC Universe. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could reveal that the timeline changed to allow a version of the story of Black Manta being hired by a scientist to take Arthur Curry's blood to prove he was an Atlantean to happen.
Then, it could be shown that the death of Black Manta's father in the first film was due to the villain having accidentally killed Aquaman's father, Tom Curry, when trying to take a sample. This would be a shocking twist, and it would help set Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom apart from the DCEU while bringing back Black Manta and Aquaman's rivalry.
Things are looking promising according to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan when it comes to his latest film being the final movie in the DCEU.
Jason Momoa's second solo Aquaman adventure has been given some added weight as it rounds out the current era of the DCEU storytelling, as Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn takes over to reboot the super-powered universe under DC Studios branding.
In the lead-up to Aquaman 2, the film has been in, what seems to be, a constant state of flux.
Cameos of legacy characters like Micheal Keaton and Ben Affleck's Betmen have been reported to be in the film. However, they were just as fast revealed to have been pulled from the film as well.
Aquaman 2 Is Able To Roll With the Punches
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan offered fans a promising update about the final movie in the DCEU.
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Wan revealed that he has been "mak[ing] adjustments all along the way" on the film as the DC environment changes around it:
"I’ve had to make adjustments all along the way. The DCU has been through lots of different versions, and one of the things that was challenging about this film was keeping track of what’s going on."
He added that "fortunately, the Aquaman universe is pretty far removed from the rest of the world," so he can "just tell [his] story on its own without being affected too much:"
"Fortunately, the 'Aquaman' universe is pretty far removed from the rest of the world. We’re going to many different underwater kingdoms that are not necessarily related to what’s happening with the other movies and characters, so we’re stand-alone in that respect. So I can just tell my story on its own without being affected too much, but at the same time, I have to be mindful of what’s been happening.”
The Aquaman filmmaker also touched on the looming threat of a Directors Guild of America (DGA) strike and if it will impact the release of Aquaman 2 at all:
"I hope to finish it up soon-ish. We have the DGA thing [contract negotiations] coming up next month, and so there’s just some stuff that we have to finish. It’s a big movie. It has a lot of visual effects and moving parts, but we’re moving in that direction, and I cannot wait for people to see it."
He remarked that Lost Kingdom will be "quite different from the first movie," tackling issues like climate change and being "a little bit more serious" than the previous movie:
"I think people are going to be excited to see that this movie is quite different from the first movie in terms of tone. It’s a little bit more serious, and we’re dealing with issues like climate change. We’re not afraid to lean into that in a big way, because the Aquaman comic book, even way back when, has always been environmentally conscious. He’s always been someone who’s fought to keep the ocean clean, and it feels more relevant in the world that we’re living in today. So this movie has something to talk about, but it’s still a fun action-fantasy movie."
Will Aquaman 2 Be a Success for DC?
It is promising to hear that the DCEU's final film has been able to adapt as the circumstances have changed around it.
Aquaman 2 was not originally pitched as the Endgame of this era of DC filmmaking, but that is what it is ultimately going to be.
And James Wan seems to be staying positive as he has had to think on his feet in the post-production process for this film. But that does not ultimately mean the movie is going to be a success.
It is not as though these changes have been minor. Recent reports indicated that "[DC has] completely changed the plot" of the film during the post-production process, which does not sound all too positive.
Plus, add in the fact that the movie has been described as "potentially one of the worst DCEU movies" by test screening audiences, and, despite what Wan has said, he supposedly "had a rough time" making the movie.
It has been hard for fans to get excited about DC films since James Gunn was announced to take over the franchise, and Aquaman 2 looks like it may not fare any better.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom comes to theaters on December 20.
A new Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom poster just surfaced online, and it may spoil the identity of the upcoming DC Universe epic's main villain.
The poster first appeared on the r/DCEUleaks subreddit. Produced for the CinemaCon industry event, it features a cool-toned Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom logo against a frozen water backdrop. This has led at least one Reddit user to speculate that the poster's icy motif is a clue that the sequel's central antagonist will be Atlan, otherwise known as the Dead King. In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's DC Comics' source material, the Dead King can create and manipulate ice and snow. He is also responsible for sinking Atlantis and clashes with Aquaman after he attacks the undersea kingdom once again centuries later. Atlan is confirmed to appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (portrayed by Vincent Regan), however, DC Studios is yet to confirm the nature or size of his role in the film. As such, talk of Atlan serving as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's main villain should be taken with a grain of salt for now.
Fans have been trying to puzzle out key details about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ever since the production was announced in 2019. Little is known about the movie's plot and characters at this stage, other than that several Aquaman cast members will return for the sequel. This includes Jason Momoa (Arthur Curry/Aquaman), Amber Heard (Mera), Willem Dafoe (Nuidis Vulko), Patrick Wilson (Orm Marius), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (David Kane/Black Manta), Temuera Morrison (Tom Curry) and Nicole Kidman (Atlanna). Aquaman the Lost Kingdom is also rumored to feature cameos by major players from the wider DCU, such as Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman.
Jason Momoa Talks Up Aquaman 2
Not all the buzz surrounding Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been positive, though. Notably, established scooper Jeff Sneider recently claimed that test screenings for the follow-up film "have not been good." Sneider added that "something that almost never happened in test screenings happened with this movie." He also posited that online rumblings linking Momoa to the lead role in DC Studios' rumored Lobo project are connected to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's poor performance with test audiences.
If Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is indeed in trouble, Momoa isn't letting on. The star raved enthusiastically about the sequel in a recent interview, emphasizing its humor in particular. "I hope people are excited to see the new one," he said. "It's fun. I really enjoy doing comedy. There’s some really funny stuff with Patrick Wilson. I really adore him. We had a great time working together. It's like we’re brothers. There's a lot of cool stuff happening in this one."
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom glides into cinemas on Dec. 20, 2023.
After a one-year hiatus due to COVID delays in 2020, fans are still experiencing the most plentiful era in comic book movie history. Last year, 7 superhero blockbusters of varying quality hit theaters. Just when audiences thought that was the peak of fandom, 10 will release in theaters in 2022. Undoubtedly the biggest year in comic book movies since, well, last year.
It begins this weekend with The Batman and will end in December with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In the middle fans will experience another Sony Spider-Man anti-hero, the MCU Multiverse slip into madness, and the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe change forever. There are even two animated entries into the library in 2022. One is a fun family trip to the theaters while the other is the sequel to what some consider the greatest comic book movie of all time. Oh, and Michael Keaton is in 20% of superhero movies set to release this year.
With all of that being said, on an opening day for Matt Reeves' The Batman, The Direct ranked all 10 comic book movies set to release in theaters this year in order of how excited we are first each...
BONUS: Batgirl
Before diving into the list, it is worth noting Batgirl is set to be released on HBO Max in late 2022. While Batgirl will not be hitting theaters, DC is still treating it as a high-budget feature film starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon and Brenda Fraser as the villainous Firefly. The excitement level of this movie is tough to gauge due to the lack of knowledge about the film itself. Fans know that JK Simmons is reprising his role as the Snyderverse's Jim Gordon and that Michael Keaton is suiting back up to play Batman.
So the question really is, which universe is this movie a part of? With The Flash set to answer these questions, audiences will surely have a better idea before this movie's release. But with nothing besides a few set images and a look at the classic purple and gold Batgirl suit, that is about all fans have at the moment.
So, while it does not qualify for our list of most anticipated movies released in theaters, Batgirl will surely set the tone for DC's movie streaming future.
10. DC League of Super-Pets
Coming in at number 10 on the list is DC’s League of Super-Pets. Starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, this film is a tried and true child-focused cartoon built for a family trip to the theaters. A fun look at the pets of DC’s biggest names, this animated movie was expected to land at the bottom of this list.
There is nothing this movie can or will do wrong to deserve this bottom spot, however, in the cinematic universe world, this movie is undoubtedly the most inconsequential. That is spotlighted even more by the fact that the lead voice, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, is also the lead of another film on this list.
While there is a built-in excuse of the animated movie ranking lower than live-action, DC’s League of Super-Pets is not the only animated film in 2022. And the other is very different and ranked much higher.
9. Morbius
At number 9 is the latest installment to the Sony Spider-Man Universe, Morbius. Following in the footsteps of Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the Jared Leto-led film is another addition to the anti-hero rouges gallery being built in this Sony universe. With an adjacent relation to the MCU Spider-Man, fans are excited for potential bridges between cinematic universes, but not much else.
The reality is that the lack of hype for Morbius can be drawn directly back to the poor reception of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The marketing campaign for that movie was primarily focused on the post-credit scene. Which ended up being an ambiguous blending of universes between Sony and Marvel Studios that was “resolved” in Spider-Man: No Way Home, leaving more questions than answers.
Similar to its universal predecessor, the marketing for Morbius highlights other potential world-building elements from not only the MCU Spider-Man (Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes) but also the early 2000s Sam Raimi universe and the Andrew Garfield-led TASM (The Amazing Spider-Man) universe.
With the majority of the stake being in supplement facets of the movie, the excitement for Morbius is less than stellar despite stars like Jared Leto, Tyrese, and the aforementioned Keaton.
8. Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom
On the surface, seeing the sequel to the DCEU’s first (and only) billion-dollar movie this low on the list feels like a letdown. And for all intents and purposes, it is. But it is hard to blame Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and not the universe it is tethered to.
Contained to itself, the sequel for Jason Mamoa’s Arthur Curry has plenty of opportunities to meet the bar of Aquaman in being a fun and colorful underwater superhero-popcorn flick. But with the DCEU being as in flux as it is, it is understandable that people are having a hard time getting too excited.
Something to keep in mind is that Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom releases after The Flash, a multiversal movie that is set to reset, rework, and/or reestablish the DC Extended Universe. Which would ideally get people on the same page ahead of Aquaman 2.
7. Black Adam While Lost Kingdom is a step forward for the DCEU, Black Adam looks back to rebuild this fragmented universe from the ground up. Dwayne Johnson is Black Adam giving lore and mythos to the Shazam character, while also putting a very powerful and anticipated player on the field for the DCEU.
The star power is all the way there, the cast of characters is something they put marketing behind, and this has the baseline of popcorn high-action fun. The opportunity to surprise with great world-building and character development is what fans are hoping for.
This movie landing higher than the 7 spots at the end of 2022 would be two birds one stone situation. It would introduce an exciting new franchise with Johnson’s Black Adam, while also propping up the already established Shazam! Franchise, starring Zachary Levi.
6. The Flash
And finishing the run of DCEU 2022 movies, The Flash is being touted as the rebuild project of the DCEU. The movie that has been in the works for seemingly forever, the first-ever theatrically released Barry Allen movie is in an interesting spot.
While many comic fans are excited to see the Scarlett Speedster finally get his shine on the big screen, this movie is just as much about Batman as it is about Flash. With both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck set to return, many fans are just as if not more excited about those appearances.
Add in the potential for this movie to completely reestablish the DCEU, it is plausible that Flash is the 3rd billed attraction for The Flash movie. While that may bum out hardcore Barry Allen comic fans, it will bring plenty of people to theaters for curiosity alone.
5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Much like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, asking someone in 2018 to guess where the Black Panther sequel would fall on a hype-list of 10, the 5 spots would feel like a letdown. But this is a very different situation.
The tragic passing of lead man Chadwick Boseman was the first domino to fall in a line of hurdles for Ryan Coogler and his team. Between offscreen controversy, injuries on set, and a COVID scare within the cast, there are plenty of reasons to doubt that Black Panther Wakanda Forever will live up to the original.
But with an IP like this and the love for the Black Panther character, chances are the first look will put this movie at the forefront of everyone's mind. People are waiting how Marvel Studios will pay respect to one of the most beloved members of the Marvel family.
RIP King.
4. Spider-Man Across The Universe Another sequel is being tasked to live up to the elite success of its predecessor. Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse Part 1 has everything in front of it to do what Into The Spiderverse did and become an instant classic.
Much like ITSV, this sequel is coming out in a year full of some of the biggest comic book movies of all time. But this is where the animated aspect plays an advantage. Across the Spiderverse Pt. 1 only has one thing to focus on, being a great sequel to a great movie. No universal guidelines to follow while at the same time, limitless possibilities of scope.
It is hard to any reason for people to think this movie doesn’t live up to the number 4 hype. When Into The Spiderverse was as successful as it was, there is nowhere to go but up.
3. Thor: Love and ThunderThe first-ever 4th installment of a franchise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Love and Thunder are holding its cards very close to the chest. But everyone is expecting those cards to be laced in neon, heavy hair metal, and enormous arms.
Previously one of the lower-tier members of the MCU roster, Thor has rebuilt into not only one of the best IPs on the team but also one of the most fun. With only one Taika Waititi installment on the books, everyone is looking for how weird and wild we can go.
Thor: Love and Thunder are set to feature new characters, return fan-favorites, and advance a story that can and will go anywhere it wants. With the baseline of “fun” established in this IP, nothing but excitement for Love and Thunder.
2. The Batman As The Batman roars into theaters this weekend, it is the second most anticipated movie of the year for the staff at TheDirect.com. One of, if not the biggest name in comic book movie history, the 11th appearance from live-action Batman puts people in the seats.
The early reviews have thrown gas on the fire and the bar is set high for Robert Pattinson’s Batman. For almost 2 years, trailers for this movie have been praised across the internet, and rightfully so.
A big aspect of anticipation for these types of movies is the trailer and being able to get a sense of what is happening. But it is not a matter of “you’re excited because it is the next thing”. After all, Morbius releases less than a month later, and it falls on the opposite side of this list.
1. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessMarvel fans have been on a year-long run of peeling back the layers of the multiverse in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starting with WandaVision, being developed in Loki, and coming ahead in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the pinnacle project of the Multiverse Saga arrives on May 6.
Seeds have been planted, questions have been asked, and pieces have been put on the board. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness rides the hype wave of No Way Home with an equal promise of moving forward and looking back.
The importance of Multiverse of Madness to the grand narrative of the MCU is enough to bring in almost every fan that cares about the red brand. By a rather large margin, it is the most anticipated comic book movie of 2022.
