Director James Wan delves into the upcoming film, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,’ shedding light on significant alterations to the hero’s world, particularly the introduction of his son, Arthur Jr.
In conversation with ComicBook, Wan disclosed that much of the baby storyline directly draws from the comics. “Baby boy. Yes. It’s their son, Arthur Jr. Yes, and that’s basically taken straight from the comic book,” explained the filmmaker. “The reason why we went down this path is because it felt like the natural extension of the first movie. I kept describing Aquaman II as the part B of the first movie, and so, a lot of the character arc and hero’s journey that we had set up in the first film gets to grow. They grow and expand in the second one, and obviously, seeing, at the end of the first movie we see Arthur defeating his brother to become the king of Atlantis.”
Previously, Wan mentioned to CBR how Jason Momoa collaborated with the creative team, contributing ideas on his character’s development. “We definitely welcomed that,” shared the director. “He wanted to show the contrast between being the king of Atlantis [and] having the stress and pressure of being the leader of this huge nation, but also intercut that with Arthur being a father, being at home changing diapers, doing really domesticated things, you know? I love that because, from a filmmaking standpoint, that makes it fun.”
Arthur Jr.’s tragic comic book origins involve his demise at the hands of Black Manta, a storyline that profoundly impacted Arthur and Mera’s relationship, causing ripples throughout Atlantis. While this narrative might influence the Aquaman sequel, its specific direction remains ambiguous. Recent Aquaman comic arcs introducing Andy Curry, Arthur and Mera’s daughter, could potentially influence Arthur Jr.’s journey in the film.
‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ will reunite Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, alongside a star-studded cast featuring Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman, Randall Park, Jani Zhao, Indya Moore, Vincent Regan, and Pilou Asbaek in undisclosed roles.
Scheduled for release on Dec. 22, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ promises a new chapter in Arthur Curry’s aquatic adventures, poised to captivate audiences worldwide.