Aquaman 2 is the last film from Zack Snyder’s DCEU, showcasing Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry/ Aquaman and Amber Heard’s Mera going against Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manta. The film had initially been heavily anticipated among the fans as the first film was a massive box office hit. However, after delays and controversies associated with the film, that is, the Heard vs Depp case, the sequel failed to impress the DC fans.
Ironically, despite the lackluster performance in the theatres with Forbes declaring the sequel as one of DC’s worst-reviewed films, Aquaman 2 has performed better than Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. This news split the DC fandom because they shared different opinions on social media.
Aquaman 2 Surpasses Black Adam Despite Several Roadblocks
The year 2024 has been tough for some superhero films as some films have been immensely successful, while some tanked heavily at the box office. One of the films happens to be James Wan’s Aquaman 2, which has underperformed at the box office due to the setbacks presented to the film.
The film, featuring Jason Momoa, had been reshot because of the outcome of the Heard vs Depp trial, and the actress’ role was parred down to a few minutes. Due to the defamation trial, the sequel had been delayed and faced the anger of the fans as well.
However, all these stumbling blocks could not stop the sequel from surpassing Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam at the box office. Johnson’s project, which earned only $390.4 million at the box office, was surpassed by Wan’s project, which has managed to stay afloat at the box office with $396.1 million at the box office. However, fans were having mixed opinions about Aquaman 2 surpassing Black Adam at the box office.
Black Adam still Better than Aquaman 2
— K Tha A 2008 (@DaBossDon2014) January 21, 2024
Black adam was better imo As someone who enjoyed Aquaman 1 so much Aquaman 2 felt love and thunder
— Sahil mehta (@sahil27122001) January 21, 2024
As it should Aquaman it was much better, considering that’s not saying much.
— ZΔIΠ❔ (@MindOfZaiin) January 21, 2024
OH WE WON BIG TIME 🔝 and they said this movie was gonna flop 😂
— Antony Mason (@mason_anto46176) January 21, 2024
I feel that is fair, I enjoyed Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom bit more than Black Adam, but Black Adam has its own charms, and issues.
— Wingzero871 (@DarrenRobinso15) January 21, 2024
While some DC fans were happy, while some were not regarding the news, Dolph Lundgren, who portrayed the role of King Nereus in the Aquaman franchise, was clearly furious. The Red Scorpion actor has criticized DCU for making corporate decisions and how changing the plot last minute led to the sequel’s failure at the box office.
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Dolph Lundgren Was Fuming at DCU For Changing Aquaman 2’s Plot
During an exclusive interview with ComicBook, Dolph Lundgren criticized DCU for limiting Amber Heard’s screen time in the film, and it was some sort of corporate decision that led to changing the original version of the film that he had initially seen. The decision was taken right after the final verdict was given on the Heard vs Depp trial.
“I just realized that it was some kind of corporate decision that they try to limit Amber Heard and then I’m playing with her dad and went along with it.”
The actor added that he was disappointed for the movie connoisseurs who couldn’t see the original version of the film and understand their disappointment for not meeting their standards.
“I was just disappointed for the moviegoers, because I thought the original script was great and the original cut — I saw a little bit of it, it was really good, so I didn’t see any reason to start reshooting and reshaping the story, which obviously led to disappointment in the moviegoers and not just me.”
The frustration of the Swedish actor is understandable as the 2018 film was a smash-hit blockbuster at the box office, grossing $1.14 billion at the worldwide box office. However, compared to the first film’s success, the sequel is nowhere close to it.
