Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to mark the end of the DC Extended Universe. What started out in 2013 with Man of Steel draws to an end just 10 years later in 2023. Not a journey to write home about. James Gunn would be hoping that the fortunes of the DC Universe change with the reboot. But it’s still too early to wonder what lies ahead. Fans still have the Jason Momoa starrer to look forward to. Or do they? Reports suggest that fans would be wise to not rate the sequel as highly as Aquaman.
The controversy around Amber Heard has taken its toll
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might not be the send-off the DC Extended Universe would have been hoping for. Arguably, the DCEU would have none. But word has it that the James Wan directorial will face a torrid time out there. Reasons? Aplenty.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has many factors going against it. It won’t be wrong to say that Amber Heard herself is responsible for half the controversy. The Johnny Depp defamation trial had an impact on the Never Back Down star’s popularity. The Fairfax County Court’s verdict did not only result in the loss of $10.35 million to Heard. Her losses can’t be quantified.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom faces a fierce competition
Johnny Depp fans began a campaign to remove Heard from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, even circulating an online petition that won over a lot of support. The movie helmers were not divorced from reality. Rumors that reductions in her role were being made gained traction. The Amber Heard controversy was bound to take its toll.
That isn’t all there is to the problem. The 2023 film will be facing tough competition from several movies in December 2023. The calendar is packed, with the likes of the romantic comedy Anyone But You, the family-friendly animated film The Migration, the Eric brothers’ biography, The Iron Claw, along the wide release of the critically acclaimed American Fiction will make sure that the Patrick Wilson-starrer has its task cut-out.
The hype for the DC reboot has dwarfed the movie’s hype
The domestic competition was the last thing everyone who is a part of the movie would have been hoping for. Add to that the fact that the audience is more concerned with what comes after the film. Everyone is looking forward to what the DC reboot has to offer. The DCEU has already been banished in the past.
These are not glowing signs for a film that already doesn’t have a lot going for it. The stars are aligning. But they do not offer a glimmer of hope to the cast of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. And with it, the DCEU draws to a close. What started a decade ago with a host of expectations is about to wind down with an ocean of woes – something the franchise has been synonymous with.
