‘Aquaman 2’ Trailer Roasted for “Awful” CGI: “Going to Be a Dumpster Fire of a Movie”

in DC, Entertainment

aquaman-2

Credit: Warner Bros.

When it comes to visual effects, DC Studios’ reputation is spotty at best. But based on the new teaser trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), it looks like the upcoming comic book sequel might just take the cake for the worst CGI in any DCEU installment to date.

aquaman-2
Credit: Warner Bros.

Related: ‘Aquaman’ Set to Lose Everything in New Trailer

Director James Wan’s sequel to DC’s billion-dollar hit, Aquaman (2018), has had nothing but a rocky road to production since it was announced in February 2019. Not only was the superhero flick delayed by a year, but it was also dubbed borderline “unwatchable” by viewers during early test screenings, leading the film to undergo rigorous reshoots just months ahead of its December 2023 premiere.

There’s also the movie’s unavoidable Amber Heard problem. Fan petitions for the Mera actress to be removed from the Aquaman sequel went viral last year after Heard lost a defamation lawsuit filed by her former husband and Disney royalty, Johnny Depp. The highly-publicized legal battle caused her to fall out of favor with DC fans, and her role in the film was reportedly shortened as a result.

Amber Heard as Mera in 'Aquaman'
Credit: Warner Bros.

Related: Timothee Chalamet Reportedly Joining DCU’s Batman For Iconic Role

Now, we officially have our first glimpse at Aquaman 2 thanks to a new teaser clip, with a full-length trailer set to arrive on YouTube later this week. The video, uploaded to DC’s official YouTube page over the weekend, teased the return of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and a familiar villain: Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Mera can also be spotted running into a burning house, confirming Heard’s involvement in the film. We also got a new look at the return of Nicole Kidman’s Atlanna, who appeared in the first movie alongside Temuera Morrison’s Tom Curry.

To literally no one’s surprise, viewers were less than impressed with the new Aquaman 2 footage—and that’s saying the least. Following a long string of box office bombs, including Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), The Flash (2023), and Blue Beetle (2023), it’s been a brutal year for DC, both financially and critically. However, with the first phase of James Gunn’s takeover on the horizon, things might soon be looking up for the dying studio.

Zachary Levin in Shazam: Fury of the Gods
Credit: Warner Bros

But until Gunn’s “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters” kicks off, DC fans might be gearing up for another disappointment with the upcoming Aquaman sequel. Audiences have taken to social media to express concern over the blockbuster’s seemingly lackluster CGI, comparing it to other recent superhero flicks like Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), which faced similar criticisms.

On Twitter, this user had a scathing review of the first Aquaman 2 teaser, putting its “awful” CGI on blast and predicting yet another box office bomb for the DCEU:

Aqua man 2 Looks like it’s going to be a dumpster fire of a movie, the Trailer looks awful and the CGI looks like it’s from ant man 3 (And that’s really saying something). This film is 100% going to bomb because it’s in the DCEU. Just call the release off. 

Meanwhile, this individual took a jab at Nicole Kidman’s Atlanna, who can be seen scaling what looks to be a wall underwater in the latest trailer:

Nicole ….. please fire your agent.

This user also pointed out the unusual look of Aquaman’s suit, which doesn’t seem “to be in the same plain of reality” with the actor’s head:

The CGI looks awful. Aquaman’s suit doesn’t appear to be in the same plain of reality with Jason Momoa’s head.

The first Aquaman movie didn’t exactly dazzle with its CGI, but audiences still had fun with its outlandish story and fun hero origin story romp. However, given that Aquaman 2 cost Warner Bros. over $205 million to make, it’s a much different story. The sequel will need to earn just shy of $500 million to be considered profitable, granted marketing costs are included in the initial production budget, meaning the pressure is on for it to triumph.

With Blue Beetle barely managing to break even with a $114 million gross thus far, it seems like trouble ahead for the Aquaman sequel, which, albeit will likely garner more interest, but also has to earn nearly four times that amount to be a box office success.

Aquaman (Jason Momoa) laughing
Credit: Warner Bros.

It’ll be interesting to see if Aquaman 2 will be an unexpected—and sorely needed—win for the struggling studio or if DC is in for a flop of epic proportions. There are certainly a lot of expectations being placed on the film to succeed, and only time will tell if it will sink or swim at the box office.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrives in theaters on December 20, 2023.

Are you looking forward to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom? What do you think of the CGI so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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