Aquaman 2 Pokes Fun at One of the First Movie's Biggest Tropes

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrived in theaters this weekend, topping the box office charts and bringing an unexpected end to the DC Extended Universe. The live-action film is littered with DC Easter eggs and memorable moments — including one that lampoons one of the biggest complaints about 2018's Aquaman. Spoilers for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom lurk below! Only look if you want to know!

Midway through The Lost Kingdom, as Arthur Curry / Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Orm (Patrick Wilson) arrive at the Orichalcum furnace being used by David Hyde / Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), they engage in a conversation with Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park). As Shin tries to convince Arthur and Orm to show him mercy, Manta sets off an explosion that sends them flying across the room.

This is far from an anomaly, as the first Aquaman contains multiple scenes of conversations or narrative beats getting interrupted by explosions, with the trope becoming a laughing stock among fans in the years since its debut. In The Lost Kingdom, Arthur even acknowledges how often this occurs, remarking that he "hates when that happens."

Will There Be an Aquaman 3?

At the moment, a third Aquaman film has yet to be greenlit by DC, especially amid the DC Studios changes led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. Still, Wan has indicated that The Lost Kingdom functions as a standalone story, regardless of whatever canon it falls into at the end of the day.

"Well, Aquaman – even the first film – has always been a very standalone film," Wan told ComicBook.com earlier this year. "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. 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."

What Is Aquaman 2 About?

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which arrives in theaters on December 22nd, 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. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 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. 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.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is directed by James Wan, with a script from David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Producers include Wan and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran.