Summary
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomdirector 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. DespiteJason Momoa revealing Ben Affleck’s Batman inAquaman 2, and even Warner Bros. having filmed the same Batman scene over again with Michael Keaton, neither Batman needs to appear inAquamanand the Lost Kingdomsince it is insinuated that the movie exists in its own corner of the now established multiverse.
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During an interview withEmpire, Wan was asked if Batman would appear inAquaman 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 withLost Kingdomcoming afterThe Flash." SinceAquaman 2comes out afterThe 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 thirdAquamanfilmif 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 2is a sequel in a cinematic universe, so there is no getting around the fact that it being placed betweenThe Flashand 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-scenesdrama and controversies surrounding Amber Heard, now involving details her therapist revealed about her rocky relationship with Momoa and Wan on the set ofAquaman 2, poor test screenings, constant delays, and the ever-changing nature of the DC timeline that Wan had to adhere too.
Aquaman 2continues the trend of audience criticisms on how DC has been mishandled, as the careful attention to detail ofZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguewas replaced by what some fans would consider to be movies reflecting corporate decisions without an overarching plan. WithAquaman 2on the way, time will tell if it, too, willfail at the box office likeThe Flashor if Momoa’s stardom and the success of the previous film will carry it with its head held high into the DCU reboot.
Aquaman 2will be released in theaters on Jul 12, 2025.
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