Summary
Aquaman 2’s release dateremains unchanged despite Warner Bros. delaying two high-profile blockbusters.
Following up on 2018’s DCEU entryAquaman,which served as an origin story for the popular DC Comics hero,Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomstarted as an idea pitched byfranchise lead Jason Momoaand then endorsed by director James Wan. While not much is known about the David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick penned plot, the general overview sees the titular hero scramble to save the world after an ancient weapon is unleashed.
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While it was previously believed thatDune 2andAquaman 2’s release dates would be delayed, the DC film has sidestepped the negative outcome entirely. Warner Bros. Discovery pulled the trigger on postponingDune 2,a highly anticipated sequel to the live-action adaptation from 2021. This has started a chain reaction that has affected projects likeGodzilla x Kong: The New EmpireandThe Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim, which have had their releases pushed forward. Momoa’sAquaman2, previously expected to go along withDune 2,is missing from the list of delayed movies.
Aquaman 2’s release date was already delayedwhen the sequel was pushed backin 2022 to its current 2023 release date. Fans worried another delay might be inevitable due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, which started 115 days ago and was joined by The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in July. Both guilds have similar complaints, with issues of fair pay under streaming models and the AI threat at the forefront. The strikes have halted most incoming and ongoing projects, leading to Warner Bros.' recent decision.
WhileAquaman and the Lost Kingdomisn’t subject to delays due to the strikes, it means little in the face of the gag order placed on the actors by the union that prevents them from promoting their projects. Some might argue that theAquamansequel being left with its original release date showed a lack of support or care from executives, which feeds into the narrative thatAquaman 2is being set up to fail. Every recent DC outing, all similar relics from the Zack Snyder-led era of DC films, has been a flop and done little to instill confidence in a near release.
As the potential last DCEU movie and one that the director has given hints implyingAquaman 2will be separate from other DC projects,Aquaman and the Lost Kingdommight have been entirely abandoned by James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU crew to instead focus on the upcoming projects that will interconnect to form the new status quo under the duo.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomis set for a theatrical release on June 12, 2025.
