This year will finally see the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the superhero sequel that has endured multiple release date delays. Bringing back Jason Momoa as the titular superhero, the film is set to hit theaters on Dec. 20. Ahead of the premiere, director James Wan is teasing the film in a new interview with THR, and that includes mentioning how the sequel will have a much more serious tone compared to its predecessor, given how it addresses climate change.
"I hope to finish it up soon-ish," Wan said of the current status of the film's post-production. "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."
Wan added, "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."
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Might Not Be the End of Jason Momoa's Aquaman
The previous Aquaman film surpassed a billion dollars at the box office, and of course, the hope at Warner Bros. is that the sequel will be having similar success. A strong performance at the box office may also result in a third Aquaman movie with Jason Momoa, as that hasn't been ruled out, even with the formation of the DCU by new DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. Safran serves as a producer on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and has teased that there could be more to come from that version of the character.
“There’s no reason why all the people you mentioned, couldn’t be part of the DCU, we just haven’t decided what the story is that we want to tell that incorporates Shazam or Aquaman," he told Deadline.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be released in movie theaters on Dec. 20, 2023.