Artnewspress: Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom is set to be the final film put out by DC Studios prior to its DC Universe reboot. When asked if he would be open for a third film in the franchise, director James Wan said he would, but only under certain conditions.
Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom has been one of the most anticipated and one of the most controversial project to come out of DC Studios. The film is caught in a limbo of following up a prior film while the DC Universe is being taken in a radical new direction. Despite this, fans are already wondering about a sequel. According to director James Wan, he’d be open to direct an Aquaman 3 given he had the same creative freedom he did with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom:
“I haven’t directed a third movie [in a series] before, so I’d be open to doing another [‘Aquaman’] if I got the same freedom I’ve had on these first two.” Wan tells Empire. “I’m not sure what direction [Gunn and Safran] are going in, though, so who knows? I’ve learned to never say never.”
Despite James Wan’s hope to direct another Aquaman sequel, it doesn’t seem in the cards for the future of the DC Universe. Recent reports have suggested that DC Studios is recasting every Justice League actor and that Jason Momoa would be recast as Lobo, leaving any hope for a sequel likely dead in the water.
The future of the DC Universe
James Gunn and Peter Safran told journalists that their vision for the DC Universe includes locked scripts, wiggle room, and a unified storyline across film, television, animation, and video game projects. The two explained that the DC Universe could bring back elements from previous DC regimes, meaning that their eight-to-year plan is not a full reboot.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle have all been released following the announcement of the new DC Universe, with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom still slated to hit theaters in 2023. Will the characters from those movies make appearances in the new DCU? Only Gunn and Safran know.
