Why Willem Dafoe’s Vulko Wasn’t In Aquaman 2

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Despite his important role in the DCEU and the origins of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) himself, Willem Dafoe’s Vulko is noticeably absent from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Having been the one who trained Arthur to use his Atlantean abilities, Vulko was set to become Aquaman’s chief advisor once he finally claimed the throne of Atlantis. However, Vulko does not play a role in the sequel as expected.

Originally, Willem Dafoe’s first appearance as Vuko was going to be in 2017’s Justice League before his scenes were ultimately cut. However, they were re-added to the feature with Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021. Having been Arthur Curry’s mentor and the introduction to his Atlantean heritage, Vulko played a crucial role in helping Arthur claim the throne from his half-brother Orm in 2018’s Aquaman. That said, there’s ultimately a very simple and real-life reason why Dafoe didn’t return, as well as an in-universe explanation for Vulko’s absence in Aquaman 2.

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Willem Dafoe’s Vulko Wasn’t In Aquaman 2 Due To Scheduling Conflicts

Multiple Other Projects

As confirmed by director James Wan in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the simple reason for Willem Dafoe’s absence was that the actor was simply far too busy with other projects. With Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom having begun its principal photography in 2021, a quick look on IMDB confirms that Willem Dafoe is credited with over 10 different projects between that time and Aquamanand the Lost Kingdom’s release at the end of 2023. This includes roles in major films such as The Northman, Asteroid City, and Poor Things.

Despite the delays Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom faced with its release date, Willem Dafoe continued to stay busy with multiple projects. As such, the absence of Vulko reportedly motivated Wan to delve more into the character of Atlanna, Aquaman’s mother played by Nicole Kidman who serves as Aquaman’s advisor instead in the DC sequel. That said, Vulko is referenced near the beginning of the movie, explaining his tragic fate in the DCEU.

What Happened To Vulko In Aquaman 2

Atlantean Plague Caused By Human Pollution

During one of Aquaman’s first council meetings in the DCEU sequel, it was revealed that Vulko died off-screen due to a vicious plague caused by humanity’s widespread pollution of the oceans. While tragic, it does help explain why the leaders of the Seven Kingdoms were hesitant to make peace with the surface world. Even if he didn’t get to see it, Vulko’s belief that Arthur could become a bridge between the land and sea did come to pass by the end of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom with Arthur addressing the United Nations and revealing Atlantis’ existence to the world.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Superhero

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the sequel to the 2018 film that sees Jason Momoa reprise his role as Arthur Curry (AKA Aquaman.) In the film, Aquaman is forced to forge a strained alliance with a new ally to protect his kingdom of Atlantis and the world from total destruction. 

Director

James Wan

Release Date

December 22, 2023

Studio(s)

DC Studios , Safran Company , Atomic Monster

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Writers

David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

Cast

Jason Momoa , Amber Heard , Patrick Wilson , Dolph Lundgren , Yahya Abdul-Mateen II , Temuera Morrison

Runtime

124 Minutes

Franchise(s)

DCU

prequel(s)

Aquaman

Budget

$205 Million