Aquaman 2 May Fit Into DCEU Multiverse, Says Patrick Wilson
Patrick Wilson teases that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could fit into the DC Extended Universe's multiverse and explains the sequel's niche. Wilson returns as former Atlantean king Orm Marius alongside Jason Momoa as the titular hero, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see Arthur form an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect the world from an ancient force.
James Wan is back at the helm for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom with a script from returning scribe David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who developed the story on a concept Momoa pitched to Warner Bros. during production on the first film. Thanks to Aquaman's box office success, the sequel was confirmed to be in development within a month of its release, though development would take some time as Wan chose to step back from big-budget filmmaking for a moment for his well-received return to horror, Malignant, and the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in numerous delays. With production now complete on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, anticipation is building for the DCEU sequel.
While speaking with Collider for his role in the newly released Moonfall, Patrick Wilson offered new insight into the long-awaited Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In reflecting on the first film's success, the star credited it to having found its own niche, namely in the DCEU multiverse. See what Wilson said below:
"So you take those things that you think people responded to, even if it was, 'Oh my God, can you believe they did that?' Yeah, we did that. Now we're going to do more of that. I think we found our niche. I think DC has found their way to understand where each movie can fit, even in a multiverse, which is so overused now, as a term. Clearly the movie went beyond a fanboy demographic, because it made whatever; billion dollars, right? So that affords you a freedom of, 'You know what? Let's keep it fun. Let's make it fun.'
Though Wilson's comments seemingly point towards his describing the film's unique success when compared to other DCEU efforts, his use of the word multiverse to discuss Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is an interesting choice. WB is currently gearing up to break open its doors to the multiverse with The Flash, in which Ezra Miller's titular character will attempt to save his mother from being murdered in the past, only to subsequently create a rift in time and space. Adapting the events of the Flashpoint comic line, the film will see the return of Michael Keaton's Batman and serve as his springboard into the DCEU to take over the departing Ben Affleck.
With The Flash seemingly serving as a soft reboot for the DCEU, the effects of a multiverse shift is seemingly possible for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, namely as its release is a month after the Miller-led solo outing. Though the underperformance of Justice League led to the studio's decision to focus on individual character films, the recent success of The Suicide Squad and anticipation for the DCEU multiverse may have enticed WB to begin building the interconnected bridges back up. Only time will tell when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on December 16.
Source: Collider