Highlights
- Aquaman director James Wan reveals that Batman probably won’t make the final cut in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, as the movie exists in its own corner of the multiverse.
- The scenes featuring Batman were originally filmed to provide time continuity if necessary, but since Aquaman 2 comes out after The Flash, there is no need for Batman to contextualize the film’s place in the DCEU timeline.
- Despite uncertainty about which characters will appear in the movie, Wan expressed his willingness to return for a third Aquaman film if given the same creative freedom. The sequel faces challenges with behind-the-scenes drama, controversies, poor test screenings, and the ever-changing nature of the DC timeline.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan shared a discouraging update about Ben Affleck’s Batman appearance and why the Caped Crusader probably won’t make the final cut.
If the powers at be don’t have to show Batman, they won’t, at least according to director James Wan, who appears to be in the dark himself. Despite Jason Momoa revealing Ben Affleck’s Batman in Aquaman 2, and even Warner Bros. having filmed the same Batman scene over again with Michael Keaton, neither Batman needs to appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom since it is insinuated that the movie exists in its own corner of the now established multiverse.
During an interview with Empire, Wan was asked if Batman would appear in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. In response, Wan said, “probably not,” and expanded that “those scenes were just to have something in the bank in case we needed to explain time continuity if we came out first. But it ended up with Lost Kingdom coming after The Flash.” Since Aquaman 2 comes out after The Flash, no Batman is needed to contextually say where or when the movie falls in the DCEU timeline. While speaking with Empire, Wan also said he would return for a third Aquaman film if asked, but only if given the same freedom he had with the first two films. However, without even knowing what characters will show up in his movie, this is surprising.
Even so, Aquaman 2 is a sequel in a cinematic universe, so there is no getting around the fact that it being placed between The Flash and the DCU reboot is confusing, assuming Momoa doesn’t return as Aquaman, with rumors of the actor being recast as Lobo. However, judging by Wan, this may have been the last thing on his mind since the sequel to the billion-dollar-plus success of the first film couldn’t have been easy to follow. This is exacerbated by behind-the-scenes drama and controversies surrounding Amber Heard, now involving details her therapist revealed about her rocky relationship with Momoa and Wan on the set of Aquaman 2, poor test screenings, constant delays, and the ever-changing nature of the DC timeline that Wan had to adhere too.
Aquaman 2 continues the trend of audience criticisms on how DC has been mishandled, as the careful attention to detail of Zack Snyder’s Justice League was replaced by what some fans would consider to be movies reflecting corporate decisions without an overarching plan. With Aquaman 2 on the way, time will tell if it, too, will fail at the box office like The Flash or if Momoa’s stardom and the success of the previous film will carry it with its head held high into the DCU reboot.
Aquaman 2 will be released in theaters on December 22, 2023.
Source: Empire Magazine
