Next week sees the release of Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom, DC’s final movie of 2023. The original 2018 film was a billion-dollar hit, but the sequel feels like is occupying this weird space where it feels like it should’ve been out by now, or is farther away than it seems. Either way, if you were wondering about the future of the character, it sounds like the writing’s already on the wall.
“It’s not looking too good,” Jason Momoa told Entertainment Tonight. The outlet asked him about the chances of showing up in James Gunn’s new universe of DC movies, and he was candid about the currently slim chances of returning as the Atlantean. “I don’t necessarily want it to be the end,” he admitted, adding that things may change if audiences take a shine to the film and it does well at the box office. Even so, he acknowledged that things are basically out of his hands at this point.
With it being known that Gunn and Peter Safran are starting up the DC movies again with Superman: Legacy in 2025, that knowledge has hung over Shazam 2, The Flash, and Blue Beetle. That’s not the only reason audiences didn’t show up for those films, but you can imagine the general knowledge that these flicks are semi-inconsequential isn’t exactly encouraging in the leadup to their individual releases.
Momoa used the interview to wax poetic about his time as Aquaman, calling his ability to change the public perception of the hero “a really hard goddamn thing to do. I love this character and [I would want to] play it for a long time,” he said. Along with his general interest in seeing where else he could take the character, he loved getting to use the solo movie as an opportunity to grow Aquaman from his Justice League debut. “It’s fun just to just be the reluctant king and then getting past all of his ego, and [seeing him] realizing what he’s meant to do.”
Should he have his way, Momoa does hope to pop up in the new DC universe somehow, and not just as the King of the Seas. “If there’s a place in their world for me, I would love to be a part of it,” he continued. “Warner and DC is definitely my home.”
Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom hits theaters next week on December 22.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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