Aquaman 2 Director Calls DCU's Reboot 'Noise' & Confirms His Sequel Stands Alone
"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" marks the official end of the DCEU's tumultuous tenure. While fans can't wait to see which, if any, characters will make the transition to James Gunn's new DCU, director James Wan isn't worried about his sequel fitting into any overarching cinematic universe, claiming that the latest reboot attempt didn't impact the film at all.
"The beauty about 'Aquaman' is that we've always designed these two films to be within their own world," Wan told the press at the "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" trailer event, stating that he'd be foolish not to be aware of DC's impending reboot. "The advantage of not being hooked into this bigger universe is whatever happens over there doesn't really affect my movie. This film doesn't hook into anything. It lives in it's own world. That's what we found worked really well for us on the first film, and we're doing exactly the same. There's noise going around, but I'm just in my cocoon, in my underwater kingdom."
From Wan's statement, fans shouldn't expect to see any other characters in the sequel, with the director cementing that the film doesn't connect to either DC cinematic universe. Of course, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" had three rounds of reshoots in just one year, partially to solve a problem surrounding Batman's cameo. But, from the sound of it, the production scrapped those ideas altogether, making the "Aquaman" sequel more of a standalone adventure.
Wan wanted Aquaman to spin off from the DCEU
Since their first attempt at a cinematic universe, Warner Bros. never got things right with DC. Whether it was changes in studio management or differing visions for the future, they were constantly playing catch-up with other, more interconnected, on-screen universes, making it confusing for audiences and a nightmare for filmmakers. "Aquaman" direct James Wan wasn't oblivious to these issues during his superhero tenure, electing to ignore what he deemed "noise" and focus on fleshing out Aquaman and the Seven Kingdoms.
"Obviously, I have to be mindful," Wan told Entertainment Weekly regarding the massive changes at DC in recent years, particularly during his work on "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." "If I'm living in a house, and the house is getting renovated around me, it's hard for me to not take notice, because the roof, the ceiling's missing, right? But the beauty of this movie, this 'Aquaman' world, is that, very early on, we always said that we are our own separate universe. My goal was always: If we could spin off a Seven Kingdoms universe, that would be my ideal dream. So, what we do, ultimately, doesn't get affected by all that stuff, all that noise."
Although Wan ultimately made the right decision, keeping his "Aquaman" movies self-contained and not forcing connections to the overall DCEU, it's surprising that he wanted the hero to spin off into his own franchise. Considering the first movie earned over $1 billion at the box office and the countless ocean-based lore from the comics, Aquaman could easily become a solo franchise, rivaling that of Batman and Superman. However, with "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" concluding the DCEU, it's unclear whether or not the aquatic king will continue his reign in the new DCU.