Will Aquaman 2 Adapt One of the Character’s Most Controversial Storylines?

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is officially on the horizon, with the first trailer for DC’s long-awaited sequel arriving on Thursday. The new footage provided a lot to take in, including impressive visuals and the returns of Arthur Curry / Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and other fan-favorite characters. But one of the biggest takeaways might be the film’s plot — and whether or not it teases one of Aquaman’s most infamous storylines making the jump into live-action.

The trailer showcases David Hyde / Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his renewed quest to ruin Arthur’s life — which, this time around, apparently involves destroying everything he hold dear with the help of the Black Trident. As a line of dialogue reveals later in the trailer, Manta specifically wants to take out the entire royal bloodline, something that gets even more complicated with the revelation that Arthur and Mera (Amber Heard) have a happy baby boy together. For those familiar with Aquaman’s comics, this has already begged the question — will Black Manta end up killing Aquaman’s baby?

Will Black Manta Kill Aquaman’s Baby in Aquaman 2?

Arthur Curry Jr. (known as the “Aquababy”) first appeared in DC’s comics in 1965, giving Arthur and Mera a new status quo as a happy family for the better part of a decade. That all began to backfire in Aquaman’s Adventure Comics feature in the mid-1970s, when Arthur uncovered a conspiracy working to unseat him in Atlantis, and met a secret faction of Atlanteans called the Idylists. At a certain point, Black Manta took control of the Idylists, capturing Aqualad and forcing Arthur into a deadly combat with him. All the while, the life of Aquababy hung in the balance, as Manta put him in a glass bubble filling with air, which would suffocate his Atlantean lungs in a matter of minutes. Although Arthur ultimately gets out of the predicament, he is unable to save Aquababy, and he buries his son in Amnesty Bay. From that point onward, Arthur and Mera’s relationship grows strained, and Arthur’s animosity towards Manta only grew.

It’s safe to assume that, if Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom decides to draw from this storyline, it probably won’t be an exact adaptation. (Although, the titular “lost kingdom” could very well be the home of the Idylists, and maybe Aqualad could be replaced with Orm the Ocean Master (Patrick Wilson) in the fight to the death.) Still, it certainly doesn’t seem out of the question that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could bring Manta close to that incredibly-dark point, and create a whole new set of stakes for Arthur to deal with.

What Is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom About?

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.

Do you think Black Manta will try to kill Aquaman’s baby in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!