Yes, Aquaman 2 Leaves The Door Open For A Third Film To Complete The Trilogy

Arthur Curry is back in the new trailer for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," and we've been waiting a really long time for his return. The first film, "Aquaman," was directed by James Wan and came out all the way back in 2018. The sequel film was supposed to come out last December but was pushed back a year because of Covid delays and leadership changes at Warner Bros. Pictures. Fans were worried that the film was going to get sent to the chopping block after James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the DC branch of Warner Bros., but we can all let out a sigh of relief as "The Lost Kingdom" is finally hitting theaters just in time for the winter holiday season. I recently got to attend a trailer event where Wan did a Q&A about what we're going to see in the new film and dropped a few hints about the possible future of the character.

One of the big questions was whether or not Wan would be up to do another Aquaman film, making it a trilogy. After all, "Aquaman" took in over a billion dollars worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Though there has been talk about star Jason Momoa switching gears and taking on the DC character Lobo, don't count out another round of seeing Arthur Curry in his shiny underwater outfit. Based on the strategically described and definitely PR-approved statement Wan gave during the presentation, it certainly sounds like the door is open for more adventures under the sea. 

During the Q&A, Wan said that he often goes from a big movie to a smaller one, and then back to a big one because, "[Going] from a big movie into another big movie is so exhausting. I've spent four years on this film ... that's a long time." That said, he didn't take away our hope here, whether he takes it on himself or not. Wan said: 

"The Jason Momoa story, definitely as Aquaman, [he] definitely has more places to go. And — yes. [laughter]. Yeah ... I don't know how to answer that without giving things away ... because where we go at the end of this movie, it does tee up something bigger, and so — not bigger, but it does tee up a direction for that story. And I don't want to speak to that just because it's the end of the movie."

While that doesn't definitively answer the question of whether or not Wan himself would take the helm of a possible third Aquaman film, it definitely leaves the door open. Could "Aquaman 3" be part of the new Peter Safran/James Gunn-helmed DCU at some point? Could it end up as a DC Elseworlds film like "The Batman" which exists out of the main timeline? The possibility for more Aquaman would definitely depend on the box office, which wasn't great for the last two DC films, "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" and "The Flash." That said, I do hope Wan takes another shot, no matter what part of the DCU a potential third Aquaman film might end up in. 

"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" will hit theaters on December 20, 2023.