Credit: DC StudiosThe first reviews for director James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) are in, and so far, it sounds like the DCEU is going out not with a bang but a whimper.
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When Jason Momoa made his franchise debut as the bombastic, underwater-breathing warrior-king known as Aquaman (AKA Arthur Curry) in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), it was clear that then-DCEU mastermind Zack Snyder had some lofty ambitions for the character, who played an even bigger role in Justice League (2017). His appearances in the DCEU all led to his first solo film, Aquaman (2018), which proved to be an unexpected hit for DC and Warner Bros., grossing well over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Despite not faring overly well with critics, the commercial success of James Wan’s first Aquaman outing was enough for Warner Bros. to greenlight a sequel, which began principal photography in July 2021. Over two years later, and plenty of behind-the-scenes scandals aside, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom finally hits theaters this week. Not only will the blockbuster conclude the DCEU and the “SnyderVerse” as James Gunn and Peter Safran prepare to launch their DCU reboot, but it will also mark Momoa’s last time suiting up as the titular hero. And so far, it sounds like the comic book sequel is drowning under the pressure.
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Now that the review embargo for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has officially lifted, critics are taking to Rotten Tomatoes to share their candid opinions of the superhero flick, and it’s off to a disastrous start. Considering its predecessor exceeded expectations back in 2018, some were hopeful that Arthur Curry’s final adventure might send the franchise off on a high. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the case, as the sequel currently sits at a measly 39% Tomatometer score at the time of writing based on 72 reviews.
The first reviews are in for #Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – currently it’s Rotten at 36% on the Tomatometer, with 42 reviews.
The first reviews are in for #Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – currently it's Rotten at 36% on the Tomatometer, with 42 reviews: https://t.co/5jAVCS1Cvh pic.twitter.com/br63agpa2e
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) December 21, 2023
This makes Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom one of the DCEU’s worst-reviewed titles as it’s currently sandwiched between Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (29%) and Black Adam (38%). By comparison, the first Aquaman movie received a 65% critics’ score, though the sequel’s rating is still subject to chance.
Bleeding Cool critic Kaitlyn Booth wrote, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a mess of a film in every way that counts: in the story, in special effects, and in the end, none of it amounts to anything because we all know this is a chapter ending with nothing to actually say about said ending,” while Above the Line‘s J. Don Birnam slammed the sequel for its lackluster effects and lack of emotional story beats, adding, “Everything is recycled from other superhero movies. It’s time to give the genre an at sea burial.”
With Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom likely to flop hard at the holiday box office, the movie is set to shatter an unfortunate DCEU record, making the franchise’s eighth “rotten” film alongside earlier entries like Suicide Squad (2016) and the more recent Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). Meanwhile, other 2023 releases far surpassed the latest Aquaman outing, including The Flash (2023), which earned a 63% approval rating, and Blue Beetle (2023), which landed a far more impressive 78%.
From the get-go, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom had many things working against it. Production was significantly delayed due to the pandemic, and the initial cut underwent lengthy reshoots after test audiences deemed it borderline unwatchable. It also didn’t help that Mera actress Amber Heard, whose highly-publicized legal battle against her former husband, Johnny Depp, painted the movie in an undeniably bad light, with many calling for DC and Warner Bros. to recast the character or write her out of the story entirely. Heard claimed that her role was “parred down” in the movie as a result of the backlash — something Wan adamantly denied, insisting the sequel was always intended to be a sort of “buddy comedy” about Arthur Curry and his brother, Orm/Ocean Master (Patrick Wilson).
It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly led to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s downfall, but the nonstop “noise” surrounding the film undoubtedly contributed to its abysmal ticket sales. Currently, the sequel is looking to earn just $40 million throughout its opening weekend, which is even lower than Marvel Studios’ recent box office bomb, The Marvels (2023). Audiences’ growing sense of “superhero fatigue” certainly spells trouble ahead for the superhero genre, and the new Aquaman movie is proof.
There’s still time for DC and Warner Bros. to turn things around as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits screens tomorrow, but based on these early reviews, it’s not looking too hopeful. Of course, audiences historically tend to disagree with critics, meaning the general public might think more highlight of Aquaman’s latest underwater adventure. Ultimately, it seems like the final DCEU outing was doomed from the start, and simply crumbled under the weight of audiences’ very high expectations. While this might be a dismal end for the DCEU, hopefully, we can expect to see Jason Momoa pop up somewhere in James Gunn’s DCU down the line.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom swims into theaters on December 22, 2023.
Are you optimistic that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will things around at the box office, or will it be yet another DCEU flop? Let us know in the comments below!