When Aquaman released in 2018 and became a $1 billion success at the box office, what struck many DC fans was the movie’s balance of light and dark moments as well as its detailed underwater world-building. It comes as no surprise then that Aquaman 2 will build upon these moments and make them more serious. In an interview with THR spotlighting his profile, director James Wan revealed that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will definitely be a bit more serious compared to the first one. And, continuing in the spirit of the first movie, the sequel will definitely tackle some pressing environmentalist themes and issues such as climate change.
I think people are going to be excited to see that this movie is quite different from the first movie in terms of tone. It’s a little bit more serious, and we’re dealing with issues like climate change. We’re not afraid to lean into that in a big way, because the Aquaman comic book, even way back when, has always been environmentally conscious. He’s always been someone who’s fought to keep the ocean clean, and it feels more relevant in the world that we’re living in today. So this movie has something to talk about, but it’s still a fun action-fantasy movie.
Hopefully, we’ll get a glimpse of this tone and the film’s issues once the first trailer for the sequel hits the web. For now, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to release in theaters on December 23, 2023.
