Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom has had numerous reshoots that include two different Batman actors. If that weren’t enough, The Hollywood Reporter says there have been a lot of test screenings for the movie too. James Wan’s first Aquaman movie was a bonafide hit for Warner Bros. as it snared $1 billion at the box office. Now, with Warner Bros. Discovery under new management, the studio is hoping for a rebound after a disappointing entry with The Flash. THR reports that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom had some reshoots in June that brought Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson back for the action.
One silver lining that DC Comics fans could take from this is that there’s been a concerted effort to save the film. The Flash had a lot of the studio’s strength behind it. With that movie in the rear-view, the company had to carefully construct whatever was next. That meant reshuffling the Batman appearances in the film as well. At one point, Michael Keaton’s Batman was supposed to play a part. Then, as The Flash took prominence, Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight stepped in. Reportedly, the cut that exists now doesn’t have any version of the Caped Crusader in it. As with all of these big movies, test screenings will dictate what else happens now.
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Why Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Still Has A Chance
ComicBook.com’s Chris Killian talked to director James Wan about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. During their conversation, the filmmaker acknowledged the questions fans might have about Jason Momoa’s upcoming adventure. Will it matter to the larger DC franchise? Are we bringing back the Snyderverse? Impossible to know, but the team remains hopeful.
“Well, Aquaman – even the first film – has always been a very standalone film. That was always our approach: that it kind of lives in its own world, and that’s kind of how we’ve approached The Lost Kingdom as well,” Wan said. “You know, people love Jason Momoa; people love him playing this role; and people love the action visuals of this space and this world. And that’s what we’re doing: we’re taking it to the next level and we are still expanding – and just any fans of Aquaman the character, that love Black Manta, this is the next level and I’m very excited to finally put out there to show them what we’ve been working on all these years.”
Amber Heard Addresses Pressures of Big DC Movies
During a recent interview, the Aquaman actress mentioned how hard it can be to star in these massive projects. She told Deadline that indie films help balance this whole thing out for her. Check out what she had to say.
“There’s a ton of pressure on these big franchise movies, with millions and millions of dollars at stake, and compromises are part of trying to make it the most successful thing it can be,” Heard noted. “Then on the other end of the spectrum is a small indie film like In The Fire, a work of art and work of love, with nowhere near the same resources, and so there are compromises there. The best luck you can have as an actor is to be able to balance both.”
“Aquaman, that franchise and the machinery behind it, I’m very honored, honored to be a part of that. And then there are these small passion projects like In The Fire, where I’m proud to have gotten to know the filmmaker and the cast, and we got dirty together, to breathe life into this story,” she continued. “There’s something cool about that, and I think success is an actor who is able to have both those things.”
What You Can Expect From Aquaman 2:
“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 will see the return of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Randall Park as Stephen Shin. Game of Thrones alum Pilou Asbaek has also joined the cast in an unknown role, while Jani Zhao will play new character Stingray, Indya Moore will play Karshon, and Vincent Regan will play Atlan, who was previously portrayed by Graham McTavish in Aquaman.”
Do you think Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom can be a hit? Let us know in the comments down below!
