Aquaman 2 Trailer: What Is The Black Trident & What Are Its Powers?
Several months ahead of the film's theatrical debut, the first trailer for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" has been released. The teaser, which runs nearly three minutes long, offers DC fans a considerable glimpse at the upcoming movie and, specifically, its James Wan-directed campy vibes. Indeed, the "Aquaman" sequel seems primed to deliver not only a much bigger underwater adventure than its 2018 predecessor, but one that is also more knowingly goofy than most fans might have expected.
The film promises to follow Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) as he is forced to team up with his estranged brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), in order to take down David Kane, a.k.a. Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). The latter character looks far more powerful in "The Lost Kingdom" than he was in "Aquaman," and that seems to be due, in part, to a weapon he acquires in the sequel that's currently known only as the "Black Trident." The weapon, which glows a sickly green color when it's used, looks to be an ancient relic of some kind, one capable of leveling the playing field between David and Arthur.
"During King Atlan's time, there were seven kingdoms," Orm recalls around the midpoint of the "Lost Kingdom" trailer, adding, "The trident was a curse upon them all." Later, Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) warns Arthur that "the trident's dark magic is spreading." These warnings are accompanied by multiple shots of Black Manta wielding the Black Trident to wreak havoc on Arthur's home and go toe-to-toe with the King of Atlantis himself.
Right now, the Black Trident's specific powers aren't totally clear, but there are a few comic book weapons that could have, at the very least, partly inspired its creation.
The Black Trident may have been created by Triton himself
In an interview with Comicbook.com, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" director James Wan briefly hinted at the Black Trident's role in the film. "[Black] Manta basically, at the end, after the first movie, he is on this relentless quest to basically want to kill Arthur Curry or just destroy everything that Arthur has built," the director teased. "Without giving too much away here, in his search to try and fix the power suit that he had in the first movie that was all banged up and destroyed, he stumbles across something much bigger."
Wan, notably, refrained from revealing any more details about the Black Trident's powers, but that hasn't stopped fans from speculating about some of the weapons that may have inspired it. With that in mind, one of the leading theories about the Black Trident is that it's a live-action version of the Trident of Triton. Created by Triton himself, the son of Poseidon, the weapon is an unbreakable trident that is essentially an extension of its own creator's godly power. It can, therefore, not only be used as an effective offensive weapon, but its mystical qualities also give it the ability to create spatial openings in the ocean.
If the Black Trident was similarly created as an extension of a literal god's power, that'd explain why it's able to turn Black Manta into an even more powerful combatant in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." That said, the Trident of Triton isn't the only comic book weapon that could have served as the inspiration for the Black Trident.
Is the Black Trident a version of the Dead King's Scepter?
There are moments throughout the "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" trailer that hint that the Black Trident's powers may be slightly necromantic. There is, of course, Atlanna's remark about the weapon's "dark magic," but also several shots of undead soldiers with eyes that glow the same shade of green as the Black Trident. Near the end of the trailer, there's even a brief shot of a skeletal, seemingly undead figure wielding a weapon that looks a whole lot like the trident itself.
Taking all of this into account, it's possible that the Black Trident is a version of the Dead King's Scepter. One of seven weapons created by Atlan, a former ruler of Atlantis known as "The Dead King," the scepter in question has the power to not only create devastating seismic earthquakes but also give its wielder the ability to control The Trench, a lost Atlantean tribe that lives in the deepest depths of the ocean. During a feud with his brother, Orin, Atlan famously used his scepter to sink Atlantis beneath the sea. In doing so, he destroyed four of its seven kingdoms. In the comics, the Dead King's Scepter is also recovered at one point by none other than Black Manta himself.
The scepter's comic book history may tie in well with the story of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," which seems primarily concerned with reconciling Atlantis' ancient past with its future. Based on Orm's line about King Atlan and his seven kingdoms, it seems like the Black Trident has a powerful connection to the history of Atlantis, too. What that connection is remains to be seen, but it's worth noting that the weapon may not end up being a direct copy of any one specific comic book artifact.
The Black Trident may be a completely original creation
In 2018's "Aquaman," Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry seeks out the Trident of Atlan, which is said to be the weapon that inadvertantly caused Atlantis to sink beneath the sea. It's also said that only the rightful heir of Atlantis is capable of wielding it and that it gives its wielder the power to command the sea itself. The film's take on Aquaman's weapon of choice, in other words, borrows elements from the comic book versions of both the Dead King's Scepter and the Trident of Neptune. In all likelihood, the Black Trident was created in a similar manner.
That is to say that the weapon will likely turn out to be an amalgamation of a few different comic book items, as well as its own unique artifact. That doesn't mean that there won't be aspects of it that aren't reminiscent of certain comic book weapons. In fact, based solely on what fans have seen so far, it seems like the Black Trident is capable of dealing the same kind of damage as the Dead King's Scepter. The latter weapon's name could have also been the inspiration for the Black Trident's clear, if currently mysterious, connection to the undead.
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait until "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" hits theaters on December 20 to find out more about Black Manta's powerful new weapon, including who created it and the specific powers it offers.