James Wan Teases Future Stories in Aquaman’s World Beyond the Movies

James Gunn and Peter Safran have been busy lately, putting the foundational blocks in place for their new DC era, which will kick into gear with the much anticipated Superman Legacy. That’s had a substantial effect on the films that were already on the board like The Flash, Black Adam, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, as those aren’t going to be a part of the universe moving forward. That’s not quite the case for Aquaman though, as director James Wan has said the ever-changing landscape of DC’s film universe doesn’t affect the Aquaman world in the same way. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to Wan about the potential future of the Aquaman franchise, asking if there were more stories he wanted to tell on the Aquaman side of things and if so, would they need to be in movie form or with the same team. Turns out there are quite a few possibilities on that front and not just on the big screen.

“I mean, you’re totally right. We have created such a big world within this bigger world, and the really cool thing, I guess, is that it is just unique to the Aquaman characters,” Wan said. “Aquaman lives in a world that doesn’t really get affected by all the other stuff that’s happening.”

“I mean, obviously if it’s a worldwide catastrophe that will have global issues with the ocean as well, but within that, we can be inside our own bubble, if you will,” Wan said. “And so yeah, there are many stories that you could tell from this world. They don’t have to be movies. They definitely can be their own little shows if you wanted to. Definitely you can do a lot of things.”

The new slate for DC’s movie universe doesn’t yet include an Aquaman-focused project, but that could very well change depending on if Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom does well at the box office. There were also rumors that Momoa might be switching roles within the DC universe, possibly setting aside the trident and jumping on a spacehog to become Lobo. That’s all conjecture at this point, but with Wonder Woman possibly being recast, Momoa would be the only person from the previous era’s Justice League to continue on in the same role if we do get another Momoa-led Aquaman film.

All intriguing things to mull over, but it’s great that Wan is open to other avenues in storytelling for future Aquaman projects. It remains to be seen if any of that will come to pass, but here’s hoping more Aquaman stories in some form or fashion are a part of this next DC chapter.

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which arrives in theaters on December 25th, 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.

What do you hope to see for Aquaman in DC’s next era? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things DC with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!