It was recently announced that Dolph Lundgren is the latest actor to join the cast of Aquaman, the upcoming DC Extended Universe film.
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Since the news broke, Lundgren’s casting as the evil Xebel king Nereus has been met with a warm response – including one from the film’s director, James Wan.
Wan, who often chronicles updates about the film through Twitter, tweeted his excitement about Lundgren’s casting. According to the director, keeping Lundgren’s role in the film a secret has been the “hardest (and most [exciting]) secret to sit on.”
Been hardest (and most excited) secret to sit on. But finally, welcome to Atlantis @Dolph_Lundgren #KingNereus #KingdomOfXebel https://t.co/qpDU00nVSd
— James Wan (@creepypuppet) April 12, 2017
The fact that Wan and the rest of Aquaman‘s crew have been keeping Lundgren’s casting a secret – despite the film currently being in pre-production, and the cast already having its first table read – poses the question of what role Nereus will have in the film.
Given the character’s comic ties to both Mera (Amber Heard) and Orm the Ocean Master (Patrick Wilson), there’s a chance that Lundgren’s role could be fairly significant. Although that’s currently unclear at this point, especially considering the talented ensemble that Lundgren will be acting alongside.
An icon for over 70 years, Aquaman is the King of the Seven Seas. This reluctant ruler of Atlantis, caught between a surface world constantly ravaging the sea and Atlanteans looking to lash out in revolt, is committed to protecting the entire globe.
The film is based on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment and will star Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) as the sea-dwelling superhero, Amber Heard (Machete Kills) as Mera, Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) as Atlantean politician Vulko, Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Temuera Morrison as Aquaman’s father. It’s being directed by James Wan (Furious Seven, The Conjuring), written by Will Beall (Gangster Squad), and produced by Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder and Zack Snyder.
MORE: Jason Momoa Shows Off Trident In New Training Photo | Watch Amber Heard Begin Training For Mera | The Rock Congratulates Yahya Abdul-Mateen For Aquaman Casting
Aquaman is set for release in 2018. Are you excited to finally see James Wan’s undersea epic? Let us know with your vote in our Anticipation Rankings
DC and Warner Bros. have a full slate ahead, with Teen Titans: The Judas Contract coming first on April 4, 2017. After that it’s time for Wonder Woman on June 2, 2017, followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017. The Batman is expected sometime in 2018, with The Flash debuting on March 23, 2018. Aquaman is set for October 5, 2018, and Nightwing’s solo feature is due sometime in 2019.
