Barring a number of forgettable gigs in the vein of Sharknado 5: Global Swarming and Kindergarten Cop 2, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Hollywood veteran Dolph Lundgren appear in a major tentpole. That all changes in 2018, though.
With Creed II set to herald the long-anticipated return of Ivan Drago (“if he dies, he dies”), Lundgren also has a role to play in Aquaman, the James Wan-directed solo movie that’s poised to follow in the footsteps of Justice League. He’ll play Nereus, warrior king of Xebel, opposite Jason Momoa’s Atlantean, and Dolph Lundgren recently posted a new behind-the-scenes photo on Twitter (via CBM) that shows him in training.
And, well, let’s just say the towering Swede will be bringing some serious physicality to the role of Nereus, as below you’ll see Lundgren performing a leg kick with one of the film’s stunt doubles. This. Is. Atlantis?
He certainly fits the role of an underwater warrior king, and we can’t wait to see an actor of Dolph Lundgren’s caliber dive beneath the waves for Aquaman. He won’t do so alone, of course, given James Wan has recruited Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and the Oscar-winning Nicole Kidman as Atlanna.
Said to be more of a horror movie than its DC peers – hardly surprising, what with James Wan at the helm – Warner Bros. has earmarked Aquaman for December of 2018, where the solo pic is expected to rule over a relatively quiet Christmas corridor (see: no Star Wars; no Avatar). It’ll also feature characters riding sharks, so there’s that.