Jason Momoa Returns for ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’: What to Know About the Cast, Release Date and More

Credit: Warner Bros/DC/Kobal/Shutterstock

Jason Momoa Returns for 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom': What to Know About the Cast, Release Date and More

King of the seas! Aquaman, a.k.a. Arthur Curry, is finally headed back to the big screen — and he's doing it in a whole new wardrobe. In September 2021, Jason Momoa revealed that his superhero suit got a major upgrade for Aquaman 2, officially titled Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. "Second round. New suit. More action," the Game of Thrones alum wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of himself in the outfit, which is solid blue with dark silver accents. (His suit in the first movie was yellow-orange and green, as it was in the early Aquaman comics.) Arthur's garb isn't the only thing changing in the second movie, which is set to hit theaters in December 2022. Director James Wan, who also helmed the first film, has said that the tone of the sequel is a bit darker than that of the 2018 original. "The second one is a little bit more serious, a little more relevant to the world we’re living in today," the Conjuring director said during an August 2020 panel discussion. "That’s where it wants to go.” [jwplayer QPTKFrVd-zhNYySv2] In a separate interview, Wan pointed to a classic horror movie as one of his major inspirations for The Lost Kingdom. "Aquaman 2 is very heavily inspired by Planet of the Vampires,” he told Total Film in August 2021, referencing Mario Bava's 1965 movie. "You can take the boy out of horror, but you can never take the horror out the boy." It might seem like an odd choice for Aquaman, but Wan is most known for his work on horror franchises including The Conjuring, Saw and Insidious. And while Arthur Curry's Atlantis isn't exactly spooky, it's definitely weird — people ride sharks there, after all. Momoa, for his part, has insisted that the new film has more humor than the first one, which was an unusually funny standout in the often dark world of movies inspired by DC Comics. "This time around, I feel like we're pulling out all of the stops, buddy," the Dune actor told Fandango in September 2021. "Even on the page, it's absolutely wonderful. There is so much going on. I think the stakes are a lot higher. There's a lot of comedy. So, I mean, I giggled reading [the script]." Whether The Lost Kingdom leans more toward comedy or horror, it's clear there'll be tons of action — and perhaps more shark-riding. Keep scrolling for everything we know so far about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: [podcast_block]

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Who's Coming Back?

In addition to Momoa, returning cast members include Amber Heard, who played the princess Mera, and Patrick Wilson, who played Arthur's half-brother, Orm Marius. Dolph Lundgren will also reprise his role as King Nereus, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be back as Black Manta.

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Who's New?

Randall Park, who had a cameo in the first movie's post-credits sequence, will play Dr. Stephen Shin, a marine biologist who's determined to find Atlantis. Other new characters include Stingray (Jani Zhao), Karshon (Indya Moore) and Atlan (Vincent Regan). Pilou Asbæk, who played Efron Greyjoy on Game of Thrones, will also star in an undisclosed role.

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What's It About?

Plot details are strictly under wraps, but it's safe to say Aquaman will face a couple of serious foes. Black Manta is upset at him for the death of his father, and Orm is mad that Arthur stopped him from becoming Ocean Master. Dr. Shin, who seemingly allied with Black Manta at the end of the first movie, could also pose a problem.

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When Does It Premiere?

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled to premiere in theaters on March 17, 2023. It will be available for streaming via HBO Max 45 days after its theatrical release.

The release date was later moved to December 25, 2023.

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That's a Wrap!

Wan revealed in early January 2022 that the Aquaman sequel finished filming. The director shared a photo posing with Momoa and Wilson behind-the-scenes. "And finally, finally, finally picture wrap on the actual last day of #Aquaman2 in Malibu with these two gents," he captioned the snap.

He went on to thank the separate crew units, which spanned locations in the U.K., Hawaii and Los Angeles. The filmmaker also warned fans that they still wouldn't see footage for a while. After all, the superhero flick needs a lot of special effects.

"I have a very long way to go before it will be ready, but I can’t wait to share this little film with you all," Wan added.

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Release Date Pushed Back

Amid COVID-related delays, the DC sequel’s release date has been pushed back to March 17, 2023, per Variety.

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Casting Shakeup

In May 2022, Heard claimed that her future with the franchise was in jeopardy as a result of a messy court battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp.

“They released me from my contract. And I fought to stay in it, and they kept me in it. I just don’t know how much I’m in, actually, of the final cut," the actress revealed during her defamation trial. “I don’t know if I will even be in the final cut or how much I will be. It was difficult to stay in the movie.”

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Friendly Costars

During an interview with Redline Steel CEO Colin Wayne, Lundgren praised his costar Heard. “She was great. I worked with her on the first Aquaman, now the second one. We shot last fall in London. She’s terrific, I had a great experience with her,” he said in May 2022. “She was very kind, nice to the crew, nice to everybody, just down to earth. She had her newborn baby with her on set with the nanny which was kind of cute.”

Lundgren further elaborated on working with the Rum Diary actress during a June 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight. After admitting that he hadn't spoken to Heard since they finished filming Aquaman 2 in December 2021, he said, "I mean, she was great during the shooting." The Swedish actor added that the film is "looking great from what I hear." 

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Did Mera Make the Cut?

Following June 2022 reports that her role had been completely cut from the film after losing Depp's defamation case, Heard released a statement dispelling the rumors. 

“The rumor mill continues as it has from day one — inaccurate, insensitive and slightly insane,” a spokesperson for the actress told Us Weekly.