Aquaman 2 Has the Blandest Premiere, DC Won’t Even Let Amber Heard Join in as Jason Momoa, James Wan Lead the Charge
The excitement before a superhero movie is palpable. With interesting merch, fan events, and movie screenings across the board, the schedule for the lead actors and director is jam-packed with one appointment after the other. However, the sequel to one of DC’s highest-grossing films is getting minimal hype. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to release on December 22 and we don’t see any promotional events lined up for the lead actors.
Lacklustre End to DCEU with Aquaman 2
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom marks the end of the DC extended universe with James Gunn rebooting the entire fictional world for a newer storyline to take centre stage. Warner Bros seems to have nothing planned for the lacklustre premiere with only Jason Momoa, James Wan and Patrick Wilson in attendance.
The release of the sequel saw multiple delays, first due to the pandemic and then because of WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery Inc. Another WB movie Wonka released recently, so the date for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was shuffled yet again. The lack of hype can also be traced to this delay as fans had to wait so long to see the superhero’s story continue.
The embargo on the reviews for journalists and fan pages who attended the screening also lifts just a day before the movie releases implying that the studio does not have faith in the movie’s success. Usually, the embargo is lifted a few days before the release to get a buzz going and increase people’s excitement to watch the movie in the theatres.
And thus the DCEU ends, not with a bang but a whimper. No red carpet premiere, no afterparty, just a small (but neat) pre-reception, a "fan screening," and only Jason Momoa and James Wan at the Grove to close out a veritable era… https://t.co/e5BXUKrsoz
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) December 19, 2023
Apart from that, there is no red carpet event, no splashy premiere, or afterparties scheduled to celebrate the movie’s release. Amber Heard, owing to her controversial case against Johnny Depp in the recent past, is nowhere to be seen around the events of the movie despite being one of the primary actors of the film. DCEU is ending without a bang and Warner Bros does not seem interested in spending any more money for the same.
Jason Momoa’s Take on the End of DCEU
Known for playing the muscular hunk Aquaman in the DCEU, Jason Momoa has become a household name. After being the king of the Dothraki in Game of Thrones, Aquaman has been Momoa’s next big role that shot him into stardom. With the end of the DCEU looming large and possibly his last time playing the iconic DC superhero, Momoa said in an interview with ET,
“I don’t necessarily want it to be the end… [but] I don’t think it’s really, like, a choice. The truth of it is, I mean, if the audience loves it, then there’s a possibility, but right now, I’m like, ‘It’s not looking too good.’ I love this character and [I would want to] play it for a long time. I kind of see where I would want it to go. And even in the next 10 years or so, like there’s a lot of cool things they can do. And I do enjoy the role and the world. So, I mean, it just comes down to if people love it.”
The first movie in James Gunn’s rebooted DC universe is Superman: Legacy which is set to release in 2025. Gunn has done a great job with Marvel movies including Guardians of the Galaxy. Fans are excited to see his take on the DC franchise as well.
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