Make sure you know Arthur Curry’s story before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premiers.
Jason Momoa returns to the DC universe to play Arthur Curry, also known as Aquaman, later this month. In the follow-up to Aquaman, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom continues the titular character’s story. Arthur is now the King of Atlantis, trying to keep the kingdoms of the ocean in harmony. But that is just his day job. He’s also married to Mera (Amber Heard) and a father to a tiny baby. The happy little family lives in the seaside lighthouse home with Arthur’s dad, Tom (Temuera Morrison).
Things seem to be going swimmingly (ha, fish pun) until the return of David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Black Manta has a new level of power as he now wields an ancient weapon known as the Black Trident. The only way for Aquaman to defeat Black Manta is to release Aquaman’s half-brother, Orm Marius/Ocean Master (Patrick Wilson). I see a bro-bonding montage in our future.
What to watch before Aquaman 2
To fully understand the Aquaman story before you go see Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in theaters, be sure to catch up on everything the character has been featured in so far.
Justice League (2017) or Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Although a brief video of Aquaman is featured in Batman v Superman, the Justice League offered the first full look at Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. The standard 2017 version of the film features the character fighting alongside the other heroes—Aquaman’s personal story isn’t part of the plot, but the movie does showcase the character’s abilities and sense of humor. Since technically, Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League are the same movie, I’m lumping them together. However, the Synder cut gives much more nuance to the Aquaman character.
The Flash (2023)
The Flash doesn’t really play into Aquaman’s story, but it might hint at his future. In the post-credits scene, Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) hangs out with Aquaman in a bar. Barry tells the other hero all about the multiverse he has seen and how each hero seems to be different in every universe—except for Aquaman, who appears to be the same dude no matter what universe he’s in. After James Gunn took over at DC Studios, it was unclear what heroes from the DCEU would stay in the new DC movies and which would fade away. The post-credit scene works as an open-ended way to keep Momoa as Aquaman.
Aquaman (2018)
Although the other movies play a part in the character’s world, Aquaman sets the stage for The Lost Kingdom. It is where we find out Arthur’s origin story with his parents, half-brother, and Mera. Unlike the other movies, much of this one takes place underwater, putting Aquaman in his element (literally). Plus, it is the first showdown between Aquaman and Black Manta. If you only have time to catch up on one movie before Aquaman 2 hits theaters, make sure to watch Aquaman.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
