James Wan Downplays Aquaman 2 Reshoot Rumors, Explains Batman Scenes
It's no secret that the future of the DC Universe still doesn't feel particularly set in stone. While some of fans' fears were assuaged by a detailed game plan unveiled by new DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran back in January 2023, the fact remains that tickets to DC movies aren't exactly selling like hotcakes lately, and stories about behind-the-scenes production issues continue to emerge. With "Shazam: Fury of the Gods," "The Flash," and "Blue Beetle" all failing to light up the box office, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" has become the studio's last hope for a box office winner this year.
Earlier this year, The Hollywood Reporter painted a messy picture of the "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" production process, revealing that it's undergone three rounds of reshoots and — in a hilariously specific problem that's plagued more than one DC movie lately — may have at some point switched out one Batman for another. However, during an interview with Empire Magazine for its December 2023 issue, director James Wan claimed some of the rumors about the making of the movie have been just that: rumors. "I'm a pretty private person. I don't get on social media and have fights, but it's difficult because this narrative has emerged that is not the reality," Wan told Empire. The "Saw" and "Insidious" filmmaker directed both the first "Aquaman" in 2018 and the upcoming sequel, and told Empire he'd be open to making a third film in the franchise if asked back.
Reshoots are a fact of life for blockbusters
According to Wan, the reshoot conversations around "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" have been particularly out of proportion with reality. "We probably did seven or eight days, which is nothing for a movie of this size," Wan explained, noting that interesting things can come from reshoots — like "The Nun" movies, a product of his own reshoots on "The Conjuring 2." ("I built an entire franchise from a reshoot!" Wan pointed out.) While it's pretty much par for the course for directors to want their shoots to sound like they went well regardless of any behind-the-scenes drama, Wan addressed the multiple reshoots on the "Aquaman" sequel by making a good point about the practicalities of scheduling superstars. "It was just spread out because it's so hard to get your actors back once you've finished the initial shoot," he told Empire.
That makes total sense. Production initially wrapped in December 2021, and since then, star Jason Momoa has worked on "Fast X" and filmed a series in New Zealand. Elsewhere, Amber Heard (Mera) became the subject of severe public scrutiny during a high-profile court proceeding involving her ex-husband Johnny Depp, Patrick Wilson (Orm) made his directorial debut with "Insidious: The Red Door," Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Black Manta) was cast in "Wonder Man," and Nicole Kidman (Atlanna) had some half-dozen different projects in the works. Getting any number of these people on the same soundstage again after the initial wrap seems like it would've been a challenge.
'This is the movie I want to make'
Despite reports of changes made in response to test screenings, Wan also implied that he feels like he had creative control over the film. "Look, I'm a collaborative filmmaker — I welcome people's thoughts and opinions," he told Empire. "But ultimately, I feel I have more than proven myself. So, it was like: 'This is the movie I want to make.'" The director sounds like a good match for the studio movie machine, as he also admitted that he's "not the kind of person that says, 'This movie has to turn out exactly how I planned it on day one.'" According to Wan, "Your art will never be organic if you're locked into that mentality."
As reassuring as all of this is, we certainly still have some questions about the "Aquaman" sequel, like: which Batman will be in it, if any? Michael Keaton was once rumored to appear in it, but THR has indicated that's no longer happening. Similarly, Momoa posted photos of himself with Ben Affleck on the Warner Bros. lot in July 2022, but THR suggested Affleck is also unlikely to make the final cut. "The noise is fun to write about, and it gets clicks, but people don't know the truth," Wan told Empire. As for the Caped Crusader, Wan confirmed, "I did shoot Batman scenes," but said they were "just to have something in the bank in case we needed to explain time continuity if we came out first. But it ended up with 'Lost Kingdom' coming after 'The Flash.'"
We won't know the full story of the making of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" until and unless the cast and crew decide to share. In the meantime, we can at least answer that Batman question when the movie hits theaters on December 20, 2023.