CinemaCon: James Wan Talks Taking Aquaman 2 "To the Next Level"

At Warner Bros. CinemaCon presentation on Tuesday, those in attendance, including ComicBook.com, got their first look at the upcoming Aquaman sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as well as got to hear new details and information about the eagerly anticipated DC Comics superhero film. That includes remarks from filmmaker James Wan. Wan spoke about making the sequel film and taking it to "the next level".

Diving back into Aquaman was "terrifying," Wan said during Warner Bros.' presentation. "Scary. Scarier than the kind of movies I'm used to making. It's been great. It's been fun going back into Atlantis, and I hang out with the group and the gang, ultimately, continuing with the story that we created in the first movie. And trying to take it to the next level."

Wan also spoke about how it's not just the movie itself that's on another level, but some of the characters as well — specifically Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

"Black Manta now is at a different level," Wan said. "He's still a human being, but he's now imbued with this magical, ancient power that ultimately needs Orm's help to fight this evil that is taking over Black Manta."

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, "When an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation." The film features returning stars Jason Momoa (Arthur Curry/Aquaman), Patrick Wilson (King Orm/Ocean Master), Amber Heard (Mera), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (David Kane/Black Manta), Randall Park (Dr. Stephen Shin), and Temuera Morrison (Tom Curry), with new additions Jani Zhao (Sentimentos), Indya Moore (Pose), and Vincent Regan (300).

The film's release date was recently shifted from opening on December 16, 2022 to March 17, 2023, a short delay that Wan seemed grateful for in a post to his Instagram. The delay, he wrote, gave him a bit more time to "craft this thing right."

"Working nonstop, day and night (at least 15 hours each day), on my director's cut from my home set up. Thank god for the big desk," Wan wrote in the post. "For a movie that is nearly all visual effects, I'm thankful for the extra time needed to craft this thing right. Working with groundbreaking new technology, I'm blown away by some of the early tests coming in. I'm cautiously optimistic and excited and can't wait to share when the time is ready."

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on March 17, 2023.