One of the biggest challenges facing Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has just been made significantly worse following the release of a recent report. Prior to the inception of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe, December 2023's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will mark the final chapter in the DCEU, continuing the story of Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Aquaman, the King of Atlantis. While 2018's Aquaman became one of the DCEU's most successful projects, grossing over $1 billion, hopes aren't as high for its 2023 sequel, as a series of production issues and uncertainty with DC's reboot has left Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in the dust.

After a cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Jason Momoa officially debuted as Arthur Curry in 2017's Justice League and quickly became one of the DCEU's most popular properties. His successful solo film as Aquaman made the development of a sequel inevitable, but Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's production was plagued with a series of high-profile issues, with a recent report by Variety explaining how impactful these problems had been. The challenges facing Aquaman's sequel extended to the entire DCEU, prompting new co-CEOs Gunn and Safran to reboot the franchise into the DC Universe, leaving Momoa's fate, and the excitement for his upcoming film, hanging in the balance.

Jason Momoa Reportedly Won’t Be Returning As Aquaman In The DC Universe

Although DC Studios hasn't yet provided confirmation, Variety reported in a damning October article that none of the DCEU's Justice League actors, including Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, and Jason Momoa, would be reprising their roles in the new DC Universe. Since James Gunn's announcement of the new franchise in January 2023, several actors have been confirmed to be returning, though they will be portraying new versions of characters such as Amanda Waller, Peacemaker, and Blue Beetle. This led to some speculation that Justice League's actors could also return, but this no longer seems to be the case.

Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom Will Have No Impact On The DCU’s Future

Despite the DCEU's reboot and Variety's report suggesting Momoa and his Justice League co-stars won't be reprising their roles, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is still set to release on December 20, 2023. However, while Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be the DCEU's swansong, its release following The Flash's apparent "reset" of the DC Universe confuses the timeline considerably. Ezra Miller's debut solo DCEU project was expected to lead directly into the DCU's reboot, but Momoa's return as Aquaman after the events of the 2023 film suggests that he could have had a permanent role in the new franchise.

However, if it's to be believed that Momoa won't be reprising his role in the DC Universe, it now seems that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will have no bearing whatsoever on DC's future. Ultimately, this makes Momoa's next spin as Aquaman altogether meaningless, as it will continue a story that audiences lost faith in several disappointing projects ago and will have no impact on the future of the DCU. Despite Momoa continuation as Aquaman being teased in The Flash's post-credits scene and in Aquaman's sequel, DC Studios now appear to be favoring a more complete reboot, suggesting Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom may not even be worth the watch.

Jason Momoa Deserves A Different Role In The DCU After Aquaman 2’s Disappointment

The report that Jason Momoa may not be returning as Aquaman in the DC Universe implies that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will mark Momoa's final appearance as the King of Atlantis. This perhaps should have been a momentous occasion, particularly since his first solo film was so successful. However, DC Studios' recent slate of poorly-received projects and controversies and production problems surrounding Aquaman 2 spell potentially bad news for the project, which is far less than what Momoa deserves for his DCEU farewell.

While Momoa likely won't be returning as Aquaman, there is speculation that the actor could return as a new character in the DCU. Rumors suggest that Momoa has been in talks with DC Studios to portray Lobo in the DC Universe, a DC Comics antihero whose appearance is arguably a better fit for Momoa. Variety's report noted specifically that Justice League's actors wouldn't be reprising their previous roles, but it made no mention of whether they could be recast as new heroes. If this is the case, Jason Momoa may have the chance to embody a very different dcu character after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.