Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Director Thanks Vin Diesel

Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom director James Wan had to thank Vin Diesel for providing inspiration for the DC Comics sequel. At a press trailer event for the winter blockbuster, the filmmaker jokes that the Fast and the Furious franchise's focus on family really made a mark on him. Of course, his headlining star, Jason Momoa, just got done playing the big bad of Fast X and will return for another go-around whenever the strike ends and filming on the next installment begins. Still, hearing Wan joke about The Fast Saga during the event brought some smiles out. Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom is definitely focused on Arthur's familial ties in a way that couldn't have happened without the first movie.

"I learned about family from 'Fast and Furious,' you guys, so it's coming into play in a big way," Wan smirked. "You can see a bit of that played into this in a big, big way. [Laughs] No, seriously — you know, the family aspect in this film was something that was very important for me. And you can have Vin to thank for that."

Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom Dials Up Even Mored Family Dynamics

Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom got the EW feature treatment this week too. James Wan spoke to the magazine about how this story would be about family. Orm was an antagonist last time around. But, Ocean Master has to re-enter the picture when Black Manta gets a significant power upgrade this time. While Arthur is struggling with self-doubt, there's really nowhere else to turn. His brother still can't stand him and that will provide some humor. When it comes time to save the seas, they'll have to put those differences aside.

The director told the outlet, "I always pitched this to everyone from the get-go. The first Aquaman was Arthur and Mera's journey. The second movie was always going to be Arthur and Orm. So, the first was a romance action-adventure movie, the second one is a bromance action-adventure movie. We'll leave it at that."

Will Nicole Kidman Play A Bigger Role This Time Around?

During that same press event, Wan offered his take on Nicole Kidman's role in the sequel. While Atlanna did have her role to play in Aquaman, it's clear that she'll be stepping it up a bit in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. Her sons are going to have to work together if they're going to stop Black Manta from fundamentally altering life below the waves forever. Her's more of what Wan had to say in that regard.

"Nicole definitely plays more like the right hand to the king in this one," Wan explained. "So she comes in and she definitely has more of a... She's a motherly figure, but she's also an advisor in this as well, like a royal advisor just because there's a bit more politics within the world of Atlantis. And again, Arthur is not really from that world, and so he needs someone to help guide him in terms of the politics."

What Else Is On Tap In Aquaman 2?

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom , which arrives in theaters on December 20th, 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 . Pilou Asbaek has also joined the cast in a mystery role.

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.

Are you feeling the new Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom trailer? Watching Fast X this weekend? Let us know down in the comments!