Under normal circumstances, you’d expect a sequel to the single highest-grossing DC Comics adaptation of all-time to be put on the fast track to the big screen, but Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has instead been pushed even further away.
While the pandemic obviously had a huge impact on the timeline for James Wan and the gang’s return to Atlantis, Warner Bros. have repeatedly delayed the blockbuster return to Atlantis for a myriad of reasons, with the latest claiming that the penny-pinching studio only has enough left in the marketing budget to roll out two high-profile productions between now and the end of 2022, with Don’t Worry Darling and Black Adam getting the nod at the expense of Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
To rub further salt into the wounds (but not on purpose, we’d hope), director Wan has revealed some stunning new concept art from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, just to remind us that we’re nowhere near December 2023.
The DCEU has been lurching from one disaster to the next for what feels like forever, and it’s incredible to think that we’re still 16 months away from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom coming to theaters. Five years is an eternity in the world of big budget superhero sequels, and who knows what else could potentially go wrong between now and then.
Expect candlelit vigils to be held on December 22 of this year when the high seas action fantasy was originally pegged to explode out of the blocks, but we’ll get there eventually.