Our first look at Jason Momoa in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been revealed. Currently in production for a 2022 release, the upcoming sequel brings back Momoa to reprise his role as the titular superhero. James Wan is also back in the director’s chair after helming the first Aquaman in 2018, and deep into the new movie’s production, the director has shared two photos unveiling Momoa as he’ll appear as Arthur Curry in two different suits. You can check them out below.
“Here’s [Jason Momoa] in the classic Aquaman suit AND a sneak peek at his other outfit – the stealth suit,” Wan says in the caption. “Atlantean tech based on cephalopod’s camouflaging ability. [Screenwriter] David Leslie Johnson and I were inspired by the 80’s ‘blue suit’.”
“Second round. New suit. More action,” adds Momoa, who reshared the photos on Instagram. Some of his celebrity friends are also taking notice, with Dwayne Johnson replying, “Hell yeah looking great uso!!!” The photos have also quickly spread throughout social media with many fans stoked to see the actor back in his role as the Justice League member.
Jason Momoa was a bit more hands-on with this sequel as well. At the start, the actor collaborated with Johnson to develop the story for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, so he is very invested in the followup movie. In an interview on The Drew Barrymore Show earlier this year, he addressed his involvement in crafting the sequel’s plot.
“I loved [Aquaman] so much that I, you know, participated in the writing of [the sequel],” Momoa explained. “And so we did the first treatment and then James and our original writer David finished it off and, you know, all of our hearts are in it. Instead of just getting the script, and doing that, like you’re 100% being encouraged by your director and co-writers, so that’s exciting for me, and I’m excited to go over there.”
As for the tone of the sequel, Wan has teased that it takes a lot of inspiration from the Italian horror flick Planet of the Vampires. AS the filmmaker recently told Total Film, “Aquaman 2 is very heavily inspired by Planet of the Vampires. You can take the boy out of horror but you can never take the horror out the boy.”
James Wan added: “Well, the first movie took a lot of people by surprise, right? And that’s partially because they were not familiar with the comic book, which deals in this very lurid, strange world. People were taken aback that I didn’t throw all that stuff away and make a dark, heavy film. But I didn’t feel that would have been right for it. So with the second film, I feel it will be easier for people to accept where we go because I’ve already laid the foundation.”
Along with Momoa, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom also brings back Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Temuera Morrison as Arthur’s dad Thomas Curry. It has also been reported that Game of Thrones star Pilou Asb&æk will play a villain role in the movie.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled to be released on Dec. 16, 2022. Filming has been underway in London.