Summary
- The Aquaman sequel, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” promises to go out with a bang, as the trailer hints at major reveals and high stakes.
- The trailer shows Arthur Curry’s family home being destroyed, potentially endangering his father, and setting him on a path of vengeance.
- Atlantis is shown to be partially destroyed, suggesting that Curry’s enemies are targeting everything he holds dear.
While the first trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is yet to be released in full, the thirty-second teaser footage was still rife with some major DCEU reveals. The Aquaman sequel is set to hit theaters in December this year, and given that this will be the final DCEU installment before James Gunn’s DC Universe reboot, the pressure is on to go out with a bang. Thankfully, judging from the trailer footage thus far, that seems to be exactly what Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom intends to do.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been pretty quiet on the marketing front thus far, leaving details about its plot very much up for speculation. One thing that is for certain is that, with this likely being Momoa’s last outing as the King of the Seas, the stakes are higher than ever. With that in mind, here are 4 of the biggest reveals in the first Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom trailer footage.
4 The Curry Family Home Is Destroyed
The Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom teaser is filled with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments, though one is heart-wrenchingly apparent. Just as returning rival Black Manta coldly states, “I’m going to kill Aquaman and destroy everything he holds dear,” the trailer shows a shot of a distraught Curry discovering the burning wreckage of his family home. Presumably, this will have placed his father, Thomas Curry, in mortal danger – with the worst-case scenario being that he perishes, thus placing Arthur on a path of vengeance.
Given that Arthur immediately darts towards the blaze, it’s probably safe to assume that he’s heading in to rescue his father. If the movie takes inspiration from the comics, however, the prognosis does not look good. In fact, this scene seems to confirm the theory that Black Manta will kill Aquaman’s father in Aquaman and theLost Kingdom.
3 Atlantis Is (At Least Partially) Destroyed
As if to hammer home the stakes even more, there are plenty of shots within the teaser depicting destruction at the hands of an enemy likely holding sway over a bona fide army. A hail of lasers, collapsing buildings, and gruesome beasts appear in quick succession in the teaser, and it looks as though Atlantis is directly in the firing line. Manta did specify that he would destroy everything that Curry holds dear, after all.
Perhaps this could manifest as a story similar to Thor: Ragnarok, in which Thor witnessed the destruction of his Kingdom, only to emerge as the capable ruler he was destined to be. It’s also worth remembering that, as this is the final installment of the DCEU, DC may be going for a scorched earth approach with its current locations, only to reintroduce them in a different guise in future DCU installments. James Wan confirmed the DCU influenced Aquaman 2, though the wider lore is largely separate.
2 Aquaman V. Black Manta Gets Its First Fight Tease
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II reprise his role as Black Manta, who harbors a fresh vendetta against Curry following his humiliation in Aquaman. This will result in Black Manta getting his hands on the Black Trident, which will, in turn, unleash an even greater ancient evil. With his own trident in hand, however, Manta and Aquaman will once again duke it out – with a glimpse of that pivotal battle shown in the teaser.
Details on just how large a role Manta will play, particularly in the face of the ancient malevolent force he unleashes in the process of obtaining the Black Trident, remains to be seen. Similarly, it remains to be seen just how well Manta can stand up against Curry with the Trident in-hand, given that little is known about its powers. But it’s safe to assume that their reunion will play a significant role in the sequel.
1 Aquaman Fights A Giant Mechanical Octopus Enemy
One unmissable feature of the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer is the giant mechanical octopus enemy that first appears behind Patrick Wilson’s Orm, who looks set to undergo a kind of redemption arc in this movie. The mysteries surrounding this construct are myriad, with the scene in which it appears taking place out of water after having apparently caused some significant damage to the surroundings. Whether this mechanical creature is related to the “ancient evil” central to the movie’s plot is also unclear.
What is also clear is that another octopus in the form of Topo, Aquaman’s ally who was featured drumming in the first movie, seems to reappear in Aquaman 2. One scene sees Curry riding a blue seahorse, with an octopus clinging on to the side. The drumming octopus was confirmed to reappear in this sequel, and if this is indeed Topo, then perhaps he’ll play an even larger role.