10 Harsh Realities Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom Is Already Facing

Before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom even hits theaters in December, it has a litany of hurdles to clear when it comes to the daunting task of making its money back. The first Aquaman film did relatively well, earning the coveted title of one of the highest-earning DCEU movies. But despite this promising start to Aquaman’s standalone story in the larger universe, the film’s success is already being hamstrung by several factors that are impossible to ignore.

Most of the issues the film will have to overcome in terms of optics revolve around the multiple controversies circling around co-lead Amber Heard, who played Aquaman’s wife and queen of Atlantis, Mera. Her messy, very public legal proceedings with ex-husband Johnny Depp spelled disaster for the Aquaman sequel, resulting in rumors being circulated regarding her treatment on set. Not only that, but Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be the unceremonious final film in the DCEU, the entire franchise being rebooted with the release of James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy.

10 DCEU Box Office Performance Is On A Downward Trend

The Performance Of The Flash Is An Ill-Omen For Aquaman

There’s no denying that audience excitement for the DCEU has long-since fell off. The last three entries into the franchise, The Flash, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Black Adam, have all been box office disappointments or worse, demonstrating a pattern of DC movies bombing that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be lucky to break. With the success of the first film, it’s not impossible to imagine Aquaman could break this pattern. Regardless, DC’s days of being assured their films’ money will be made back are long gone.

9 The Flash’s Aquaman Cameo Was A Terrible Advert

Aquaman’s First Appearance In The DCEU Since Justice League Isn’t A Great Showing

Aquaman’s small appearance in The Flash was the first audiences have seen of the character in a while, the marine hero not touching theater screens since the release of Aquaman in 2018. Unfortunately, Jason Momoa’s drunken stumbling around after a late-night bar crawl with Barry Allen wasn’t exactly a triumphant return, failing to drum up hype for his own upcoming release, or even allude to it. Aquaman’s behavior is also perhaps too on-the-nose, considering the rumors of Jason Momoa’s on-set intoxication.

8 Aquaman Has No Future (Yet)

The Limited Possibilities Of A Third Movie Hurt Aquaman 2

After ten long years, the DCEU that began with Man of Steel in 2013 will draw to a close with the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The effects of this reality on the film’s success will be hard to overcome, with this version of Aquaman having no plans for future installments to look forward to. That’s not to say that the sequel couldn’t bring Aquaman’s story to a satisfying conclusion on its own, but how far into development director James Wan was aware that this movie would be the last DCEU entry remains to be seen. How excited fans will be about an Aquaman movie without the ability to set up future installments is up in the air.

7 The DCU Reboot Undermines Aquaman 2’s Drama

The Behind-The-Scenes Chaos Now Has No Payoff

For all of the controversy surrounding the production of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the presumption that the film could’ve made a bigger impact on the DCEU still at least gave the turmoil a greater sense of purpose. Even bad press is still good press, and the morbid curiosity about how the film will maneuver its drama into a sturdy entry in a greater franchise could’ve saved Aquaman. But with the ultimate revelation that the second Aquaman movie will be the last gasp of the dying DCEU, the bitter rumor mill and rampant speculation that haunted the movie’s shooting not seems all for naught.

6 The Amber Heard Controversy Will Haunt The Film’s Final Edit

Mera’s Abscense May Hurt The Film’s Story

The poor optics cast by co-lead Amber Heard on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have proven difficult to escape from. It seems as though the film’s editors had two equally problematic choices — Retain Heard’s performance and suffer the negative attention, or carve her character out of the story as much as possible. It seems as though director James Wan has opted for the latter, with the second Aquaman trailer not featuring Mera at all. Regardless of whether the reasoning for Heard’s role reduction was justified or not, there’s not denying that Mera’s sudden lack of screen time will have effects on the story, and returning viewers will certainly realize this.

5 The SAG-AFTRA Strikes Stifled The Film’s Marketing

Aquaman Suffered The Same Marketing Issues As Other Superheroes

With so much being stacked against it, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom needed a strong marketing campaign to help drum up excitement. Unfortunately, the Screen Actors Guild going on strike prevented its stars from engaging in any press tours, interviews, or red carpet appearances in the name of the film, limiting advertising by a significant margin. Though the Aquaman sequel was luckier than other superhero films, the strike resolved a little over a month from the film’s release date, it may be too little, too late for meaningful hype to be generated by the movie’s leading roles.

4 Test Screenings Have Not Been Kind To Aquaman 2

Early Viewings Have Generated Negative Publicity

Behind-the-scenes drama aside, the DCEU’s last entry has been plagued by abysmal test screenings that have negatively impacted anticipation for the film. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom had reportedly been test-screened into the ground, with scores of audiences having been shown multiple different versions. Some of these early viewings have had an incredibly poor reception, with one particular scene actually causing audiences of the free screenings to walk out mid-way through the movie (via Screen Geek). The negative reputation the film has generated with these screenings does not bode well for the movie’s final numbers.

3 Aquaman 2’s Release Date Is Packed With Other Movies

The Sequel Will Be Vying For Attention Among The 2023 Holiday Season

Though Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will enjoy the position of being the only major superhero film to release in December of 2023, that’s not to say it has no competition. Aquaman will have to share a release date with the romantic comedy Anyone But You, family-friendly animated film The Migration, Zac Efron-led biopic The Iron Claw, and the wide release of the critically-acclaimed American Fiction, with all the films releasing for general audiences on December 22nd. While there may not be significant overlap in target audiences, there’s no denying that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will have to fight for viewership in a stacked holiday season.

2 Rumors Of Momoa’s On-Set Behavior Might Put Potential Viewers Off

Talks Of Boycotts Have Surrounded Aquaman 2

Amber Heard’s tumultuous televised trial with fellow Hollywood Star Johnny Depp has certainly harmed Aquaman’s reputation, but rumors of Jason Momoa’s unprofessional conduct on set in retaliation may have been just as damaging to the film’s bottom line. Allegedly, Heard was harassed by a belligerent Momoa, showing up to shooting intoxicated, while James Wan piled on, treating the actress “like a pariah“. This gossip may not be substantiated, but the mere suggestion of less-than-savory on-set behavior doesn’t do Aquman and the Lost Kingdom any favors in the advertisement department, with some Amber Heard supporters keen to boycott the film on principle.

1 Jason Momoa Seems Checked Out Of The Role

Fans Aren’t The Only Ones Whose Enthusiasm About Aquaman Waned

It will be hard for DCEU fans to be excited for an Aquaman whose heart isn’t in it, and Jason Momoa seems to be more eager to secure his spot in the future DCU than to continue his tenure as the undersea hero. The second Aquaman film’s ultimate lack of consequence to a greater story seems as apparent to the leading man as it is to fans, possibly even affecting Momoa’s final performance judging by the trailers. Having reiterated multiple times on his return as a new character to the rebooted DC cinematic universe, possibly as fan-favorite villain Lobo, Jason Momoa’s public statements have been drumming up more hype for Superman: Legacy than Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.