Aquaman 2 Trailer: Who Is Arthur Curry's Baby & Why Is His Story Heartbreaking?
On September 14, Warner Bros. dropped a lengthy trailer for James Wan's campy "Aquaman" sequel titled "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." In the trailer's opening sequence, protagonist Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) describes his new domestic life with his wife, father, and child in a quaint, seaside home. Of course, this soon transitions into epic action and adventure sequences that contrast starkly with the vibe of that quiet introduction. Viewers familiar with the "Aquaman" comics, however, know that Arthur's child has a tragic backstory, and his presence in this trailer could hint at "Aquaman 2" incorporating a heartbreaking plot point.
In the "Aquaman" comics, Arthur Curry raises a son named Arthur Curry Jr., nicknamed Aquababy. While in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" he seems to live in a house on land, in the comics he resides predominately underwater in Atlantis. Aquababy possesses some of his parents' superpowers, like the ability to reshape water, and is even capable of going on undersea adventures from time to time despite his young age thanks to his powers.
Aquababy's story comes to a premature end, however, when Black Manta (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the upcoming film) kidnaps and kills him.
Arthur Curry Jr. meets a tragic end in the Aquaman comics
In "Adventure Comics" #452, which was published in August of 1977, Black Manta imprisons Aquaman, his sidekick Aqualad, and his son Arthur Curry Jr. Black Manta then traps Aquababy in a bubble slowly filling up with air — which he can't breathe due to his undersea physiology — and will only stop this mechanism if Aquaman kills Aqualad or vice versa. Aquaman comes up with a ploy to foil Black Manta's plan, but by the time he frees Aquababy from the bubble, the damage has been done and his son is dead.
This event, naturally, has significant repercussions in subsequent "Aquaman" storylines. Mera (played by Amber Heard in the current DC films), for instance, breaks down mentally and leaves Aquaman. Then, at one point during an attempt at reconciling, he severely injures her on accident and leaves her for dead. In the "Justice League" cartoon series canon, Aquaman and Mera have another child named Mareena, aka Aquagirl, over whom Aquaman is perhaps excessively protective after losing his previous child.
Of course, there's no way of knowing yet whether or not Arthur Curry's son will survive "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," but given his analogous comic book counterpart's tragic end, there's plenty of reason to feel nervous about his introduction in the "Aquaman 2" trailer.