Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was the end of the DCEU or Snyderverse that had started with Man of Steel. A movie riddled with reshoots and other production issues, it was expected to be a failed entry as of the rest of DC movies released before it. But surprisingly the Amber Heard and Jason Momoa starrer movie has made just enough to set it apart from DC’s other failed ventures.
This feat it accomplished without the presence of Batman, as was originally planned by the DC executives. While we may never know how the movie would have turned out had the original plan been followed, here is why DC was adamant about having the Dark Knight make an appearance despite him not really fitting into the ‘released’ storyline.
How Two Batman Stars Were Forced To Be In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
While the director of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, James Wan denied to Empire Magazine that the last DCEU’s entry was filled with production issues and multiple reshoots, The Hollywood Reporter gave a pretty different account of the events.
As per THR, the movie had already been facing several issues such as it was postponed many times, and the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery did not help at all. Soon enough there were at least two rounds of reshoots and several test screenings with mediocre results.
Former DC Films head, Walter Hamada had wanted Michael Keaton‘s Batman to become similar to Nick Fury in the MCU and wanted him to appear in several films including Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. But with the WB Discovery merger, he was out and the cameo of Keaton was reshot with Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne.
However, since the movie was yet again delayed and was to be released after The Flash, new DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran did not want to give hope to fans of a franchise that was already dead and gone, hence both cameos inevitably ended up being cut.
But seeing the latest cut of the movie that ended up being released, it is hard to say where either of the Batman cameos would have fit in the storyline. And so while fans may be disappointed over not being able to see Keaton as Batman again, the decision ultimately seems right.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Where To Stream?
Despite the previous failures of the DCEU such as Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom turned out to be a surprising entry for the studio. As per The Numbers, the movie went on to become a sleeper hit as it grossed over $434 million worldwide against a reported budget of $205 million.
This has made the last DCEU flick to earn more than $400 million since the first Aquaman (see CBR). A surprising win for a dead DCEU, the movie can bought on Vudu or Amazon Prime for $12.99. If not, the movie can be streamed exclusively on Max with plans starting from $9.99 per month.
You can also purchase a physical copy of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The title is available to pre-order now on Amazon with the Blu-ray print currently worth $26.98. Or it can be pre-ordered on Barnes & Noble too with the 4K Ultra HD print worth $49.99.
