There’s been quite a lot of speak buzzing round Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom over the yr, and never simply relating to the precise story content material of the upcoming DC film. For one factor, there have been varied reviews in regards to the sequel being plagued with behind-the-scenes points, however Aquaman 2 additionally comes as DC Studios is making ready to launch a brand new shared continuity, with this 2023 film launch being the final official entry within the DCEU. Now director James Wan has opened up about how he’s dealing with these rumors and shakeups.
Beginning off, in the case of the claims of studio interference and important reshoots on The Misplaced Kingdom, James Wan acknowledged to Empire that whereas he’s normally in a position to preserve a degree head in the case of chatter regarding his initiatives, it has been powerful for him not with the ability to immediately touch upon issues that he is aware of to not be true, saying:
I’ve needed to study to be extra Zen in coping with all of the noise round me, for positive. I’m a reasonably non-public individual. I don’t get on social media and have fights, nevertheless it’s tough as a result of this narrative has emerged that isn’t the fact. The noise is enjoyable to put in writing about, and it will get clicks, however folks don’t know the reality.
Among the many more moderen wild claims surrounding Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom’s manufacturing is that Jason Momoa as soon as allegedly acquired drunk, dressed as Johnny Depp and tried to get Amber Heard fired, to which a DC rep responded by saying that Momoa “carried out himself in knowledgeable method always on the set” of the sequel. Again in June, it was additionally reported that Aquaman 2 had gone via a minimum of three rounds of reshoots and “a number of uninspired check screenings.” Plus, attributable to each its varied scheduling modifications and an alleged decree from DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, Batman will now not seem in The Misplaced Kingdom.
But regardless of all this, James Wan acknowledged that whereas Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom didn’t prove the way in which he initially envisioned, that is par for the course in the case of his filmmaking course of, and it feels like he’s content material with how the sequel turned out. In his phrases:
Look, I’m a collaborative filmmaker — I welcome folks’s ideas and opinions. However finally, I really feel I’ve greater than confirmed myself. So, it was like: ‘That is the film I wish to make.’ … I constructed a whole franchise from a reshoot! I’m not the form of individual that claims, ‘This film has to prove precisely how I deliberate it on day one.’ Your artwork won’t ever be natural should you’re locked into that mentality.
Then there’s the altering DC movies and TV panorama to contemplate. Excluding folks like Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, John Cena’s Peacemaker and Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle sticking round, the character lineup in new DC Universe will look all-new, and there’ve been rumblings that Jason Momoa may transition from enjoying Aquaman to Lobo. As such, Aquaman 3 appears removed from a assure proper now, however Wan is nonetheless open to returning to DC’s underwater depths for one more outing. As he put it:
I haven’t directed a 3rd film [in a series] earlier than, so I’d be open to doing one other [Aquaman] if I acquired the identical freedom I’ve had on these first two. I’m unsure what path [Gunn and Safran] are stepping into, although, so who is aware of? I’ve discovered to by no means say by no means.
James Wan stated in June 2023 that the plans for the brand new DC Universe didn’t affect how he put Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom collectively because it’s “fairly far faraway from the remainder of the world,” and that even with all these continuity modifications on the way in which, folks ought to nonetheless see the sequel as a result of it’s a “very standalone film.” We’ll see what the ultimate product has to supply when Aquaman 2 hits theaters on December 20. After that, the animated Max sequence Creature Commandos will kick off the DC Universe’s Chapter One slate, adopted by Superman: Legacy’s theatrical launch on July 11, 2025.
