Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom Ending Explained (In Detail)

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom officially brings the DCEU to a close, but how does the film itself end the journey of Arthur Curry? For those unfamiliar with the franchise’s history, Aquaman 2 recaps former DCEU movie events to give the film a strange sense of self-containment. The reason for this likely stems from the changes made to the film via reshoots that meant Aquaman 2 does not clash with James Gunn’s upcoming DCU movie and TV slate.

While these reshoots were extensive, the film still manages to end Arthur Curry’s journey in the DCEU before Gunn’s rebooted franchise kicks off in 2024. The story of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom details the titular hero’s battle with Black Manta, an antagonist from the first movie who returns for vengeance against Arthur Curry. By the time of Aquaman 2‘s post-credit scene, the conflict against Manta has come to a head. As the DCEU officially ends with Aquaman 2‘s story, many will begin to wonder how the film’s own ending caps off the characters, stories, and emotional journeys of Jason Momoa’s superhero series.

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The Black Trident And The Lost Kingdom’s Curse Explained

The core premise of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom centers on Black Manta’s attempts at uncovering the titular civilization. At the beginning of the film, Manta’s journey begins with the character finding the ominous Black Trident. The Trident holds the spirit of King Kordax, the brother of King Atlan. Kordax promises Black Manta revenge against Aquaman if he finds the Lost Kingdom of Necrus and lifts the curse placed upon it by King Atlan. The curse saw Atlan doom the entire civilization of Necrus to be frozen in ice, hidden beneath the caps of Antarctica after Kordax lost the war with his brother.

How Black Manta Planned To Break King Atlan’s Curse On Necrus

Concerning how Black Manta planned to break the curse over Necrus and King Kordax, the answer lies in the royal bloodline of Atlantis. The curse was initially enacted by Atlan, who used blood magic to imprison Kordax and Necrus. As such, it could only be broken by someone of Atlan’s bloodline: Atlanna, Arthur, Orm, or Arthur Jr. Manta planned to kidnap Arthur Jr. and sacrifice the baby to release Kordax and Necrus. This would both fulfill Manta’s plan of killing Aquaman’s family and grant him the army necessary to defeat Atlantis and his nemesis for good.

How Aquaman Defeated King Kordax

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s ending, Arthur manages to save his son, resulting in a fight between him and Black Manta. Manta is defeated by Aquaman before the spirit of Kordax possesses Orm. Orm overpowers Arthur and spills his blood on the altar, thus freeing Kordax from his prison. However, Arthur defeats Kordax by throwing both the Black Trident and King Atlan’s trident at the villain, ending his evil plans once and for all.

Is Black Manta Dead?

The ensuing chaos after Kordax’s defeat and Necrus’ destruction sees Black Manta pulled into a crack beneath the ice. He hangs on before Arthur offers his hand to save his life. Black Manta refuses to take Aquaman’s hand and falls into the seemingly endless chasm that Necrus is being pulled into. Given that Black Manta had lost the superhuman powers granted to him by the Black Trident, it is extremely unlikely that he survived the fall. While Aquaman 2‘s ending does not confirm his death, it similarly does not provide any hint that the character survived, marking the end of the iconic comic book antagonist in the DCEU.

Why Black Manta Didn’t Take Aquaman’s Hand

The sequence involving Manta falling to his apparent death raises the question of why he did not take Aquaman’s hand. The reason for this stems from the first Aquaman movie and the origins of Manta’s hatred for Arthur. In the first film, Arthur attacks a boat run by Black Manta and his father’s gang of pirates. He defeats the pirates, leaving Manta’s father to be judged by the sea.

As he dies, Black Manta’s father makes his son promise to kill Aquaman, something he spends Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom steadfastly dedicated to. The hatred Manta has towards Arthur is the reason the former does not take the latter’s hand at the end of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The character would rather die than take the hand of the man who killed his father, letting himself be claimed by the destruction of Necrus.

What It Means For Atlantis To Reveal Themselves To The World

One of the more consequential plot points of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s ending is that Arthur reveals the presence of Atlantis to the surface world. A subplot of the film involves Arthur being prevented from doing this by the Atlantean council as the sea dwellers despise those above land. However, Arthur deems that a relationship between Atlanteans and humans would be mutually beneficial, going against the council’s wishes and revealing the underwater kingdom to everyone.

This means that the seven kingdoms of the sea and the countries of Earth will now begin living together. If Aquaman 3‘s story were possible, the third film would likely have explored this connection. However, the DCU reboot coming in 2024 means the storylines promised by the world of Atlantis mixing with the people of Earth will never be explored.

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Did Atlantis Reveal Themselves In The DC Comics

The reveal of Atlantis to humans in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s ending raises the question of whether this was taken from DC Comics or not. In the comics, Atlantis’ presence is known by the people of Earth, though is rarely taken seriously. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom changed this somewhat by having Atlantis be set up as a major world power by joining the United Nations. Atlantis in DC Comics is much more self-sufficient, growing its civilization beneath the waves and helping humans where necessary via Aquaman’s ties to the Justice League.

Aquaman’s Iron Man 2008 Reference Explained

One of the more humorous elements of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s ending is the film’s Iron Man reference. At the very end of the film, Arthur gives a speech to the people of Earth announcing Atlantis’ presence. At the end of the speech, Arthur looks at the camera and says “I am Aquaman” before throwing the microphone in the air and jumping off-screen. This is a reference to the now-iconic ending of 2008’s Iron Man in which Tony Stark reveals his superhero identity to the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What Aquaman 2’s Ending Means For The DCEU And DCU

In terms of what Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s ending means for the status of the DCEU and upcoming DCU, the answer remains frustratingly unclear. One of the biggest issues with 2023’s DCEU films has been their unclarity on how the franchise will transition into the DCU. The Flash made this all the more confusing, as does Aquaman 2, given that several major Justice League characters are played by the same DCEU actors as of the film’s endings.

However, the more simple answer is likely that Aquaman 2‘s ending will not affect either franchise at all. Concerning the DCEU, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ended the franchise. With Gunn’s DCU, it has already been announced that all DCEU Justice League members will be recast, meaning Aquaman’s entire story going forward will be different. This means that Aquaman 2‘s ending will have no impact on the future of the DCU unless Gunn and Peter Safran’s universe involves Jason Momoa’s version of the character which is highly unlikely.

What Aquaman 2’s Ending Really Means

Despite not having much impact on the DCU going forward, Aquaman 2‘s ending has a deeper thematic meaning. The overarching theme that permeates the film is one of building bridges. From Arthur forming his relationship with Orm to Atlantis building a connection with the surface world, Aquaman 2‘s ending sums up how building bridges and connecting with other people can benefit everyone. This makes the ending of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom both bittersweet in that the results of these relationships will not be developed, but also suitably fitting as the film bridges the gap between the DCEU and James Gunn’s new-look DCU.