Given DC’s run at the box office this year, not to mention the fact that Warner’s marketing team pretty much abandoned ship on the promotion, it will come as little surprise to learn that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has brought the curtain down on the DCEU with a whimper.
The James Wan-directed sequel to the DC Extended Universe’s highest-grossing instalment (the original Aquaman having $1.152 billion) has opened with just $28 million across the Friday-to-Sunday period in North America, with a further $80 million internationally for a global bow of $108 million. That weekend is expected to rise to $120 million once Christmas Day’s figures are factored into the four day weekend.
It’s unlikely that anyone really had any higher expectations for the Aquaman sequel by this point in the DCEU’s death cycle; Shazam: Fury of the Gods and The Flash both bombed with global opening weekends of $66 million and $130 million respectively, while Blue Beetle debuted to $43 million and ended its run with a DCEU-low $129 million.
SEE ALSO: Read our review of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom here
Now that the DCEU is over, James Gunn and fellow DC Studios co-chair Peter Safran will embark on their reboot of the DC Universe, with Gunn announcing a March production start date for the new shared universe’s first offering Superman: Legacy, which is set for release in July 2025.
As for Jason Momoa’s DC future, Safran has just recently said the actor will “always have a home at DC”, but could that be as Lobo?
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time, Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family and the world from irreversible destruction.
All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is in cinemas now.
Originally published December 24, 2023. Updated December 25, 2023.
