Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Was a Fitting Finale for the DCEU

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is now in theaters, finally bringing the sequel to 2018's Aquaman to the big screen. Thanks to various behind-the-scenes changes and release date delays, the film has now become the final installment in the DC Extended Universe, before the larger DC franchise resets under new DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. While The Lost Kingdom certainly wasn't conceived as the finale to the decade-long and contentious franchise, for better or for worse, it just might be the finale that the saga deserves. Obviously, spoilers for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom lurk below! Only look if you want to know!

In the time since 2013's Man of Steel, the DCEU has birthed some movies that are beloved, and some that are downright controversial. While everyone's personal opinion about the franchise's "best" film definitely varies, the abysmal critical reception and enduring cultural discourse around films like Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and The Flash can't quite be ignored. Enter The Lost Kingdom — a film that, to quote The CW's Riverdale, accidentally encapsulates the highs and lows of the franchise. As evident by its 35% Rotten Tomatoes score, The Lost Kingdom is neither the best or worst film that the saga has ever produced, it's just a sign that the franchise is in need of a fresh start either way.

Those signs can be seen within the execution of The Lost Kingdom, which showcases many of the best and worst attributes that a lot of DCEU installments have become known for. Some elements of the film are undoubtedly successful, like the visual aesthetic for Atlantis, the hand-to-hand combat between Arthur Curry / Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and David Hyde / Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), and the stronger brother relationship between Arthur and Orm (Patrick Wilson). But like many other DCEU installments, some liberties are taken regarding the source material, and the stakes are both too small to have bearing in the larger universe, yet too big not to be. While the confirmation of the DCEU's end probably led to some of that approach in stages of post-production, and The Lost Kingdom is arguably not the worst offender of those tropes this year, it still creates a feeling of impermanence.

Even the film's mid-credits scene — presumably, the last footage we will ever see for the DCEU — unintentionally symbolizes the roller coaster ride of the franchise. The scene shows Orm finally trying the greasy cheeseburger that Arthur recommended to him earlier in the film, before deciding to shove a nearby cockroach into it, and determining that that helps it tastes better. It's not impossible to draw a comparison between that and the various quality issues across the past decade of DC films, which were met with positivity at the time of their release before eventually falling out of favor. While Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom certainly wasn't designed to be the finale of the DCEU, compared to Zack Snyder's unmade Justice League sequels or the potential Crisis on Infinite Earths adaptation that was teased for years, it might've been the perfect distillation of the past ten years.

What Is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom About?

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which arrived 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.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is now playing exclusively in theaters.