James Wan Reveals Stunning Aquaman 2 Concept Art
Fresh off the news that "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" was pushed from its original release date of March 17, 2023, all the way to Christmas Day the same year, director James Wan took to Instagram to share some impressive concept artwork from the sequel.
There's still little known about the story for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" besides that original stars like Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson are back at it. There was also the news that the Batfleck will be making an appearance – a likely surprise for fans as Ben Affleck had been fairly clear that he was done with the Batman role after his part in the upcoming "The Flash," according to an interview with the Herald Sun.
A move all the way to December may at first sound like the studio doesn't have the right amount of faith in the project, especially considering all the changes occurring at Warner Bros. Discovery, including the cancellation of "Batgirl." However, the original "Aquaman" opened around the same time in 2018, being unleashed on December 21, and it stands as the top-grossing DCEU film thus far and the only film in that universe to top $1 billion worldwide, via Box Office Mojo.
Wan sounds excited by the release date change, too, and based on the concept work he's shared, he's planning on expanding Aquaman's underwater world in some big ways.
Aquaman concept art shows new fight with Manta
According to the caption of James Wan's Instagram post, the extra time will now give him time to get the complex visuals just right. "Here is a small glimpse of some artwork into the big, epic world-building we're creating, and I need the time to do it right," the director wrote, sharing a total of 10 images in his post. Among the images is one of Aquaman battling Manta underwater, both armed with tridents. Other images show colorful underwater settings, a massive battle scene, a sunken ship, massive waterfalls, and Aquaman tussling with multiple underwater creatures.
Wan also revealed in his message to fans that he is excited for the second December release in the "Aquaman" franchise as it's a sign of good things to come for the sequel. "'AQUAMAN' & The Lost Kingdom moving to Christmas Day 2023. I'm a bit superstitious and I love that it's a December release like the first one!" he wrote.
According to Wan, the images he's shared barely scratch the surface of what's to come as he teased that plenty of creatures featured in the movie have yet to be revealed. Fans will have to wait a lot longer to see them, but if Wan's artwork is any indication, there's a good chance they'll be pleased.