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Fans aren’t exactly thrilled aboutAquaman and the Lost Kingdom,now that the film has lost its relevance in the larger DC context. Some still expect James Wan to come up with a decent standalone superhero flick that could provide a fitting end to the DCEU before DCU takes over. However, Wan’s creative decisions for the film have raised concerns among DC fans, especially his revelation about radically changing one of the coolest DC villains, Karshon, for the film.
Jason Momoa returns as Arthur Curry, now the king of Atlantis, and he faces the challenge of protecting his kingdom and family from the wrath of Black Manta. While the firstAquamanmovie remains the top grosser in DCEU,Aquaman 2is plagued with issues that could impact its box office success.
Also Read:“No one will remember the noise”: Despite Amber Heard Controversy, James Wan Felt Legacy of Aquaman 2 Will Survive 20 Years Down the Line
James Wan Radically Changed This DC Villain
InAquaman 2, Black Manta, portrayed byYahya Abdul-Mateen II, was initially reported as the main villain seeking revenge againstJason Momoa‘s Arthur Curry. However, directorJames Wanrevealed thatAquaman 2will feature two other bad guys — Stingray and Karshon. Fans may confuse Stingray with the Marvel comics character, but according to Wan, Stingray is a character specifically created forAquaman 2.
However, it was Karshon that caught the attention of the comic book fans. Karshon, also known as Shark, is a super-humanoid villain who evolved from a tiger shark due to a radioactive explosion. The ruthless predator played villain to other Justice League characters like Green Lantern and The Flash in the comics. Jani Zhao and Indya Moore are roped into the movie to play Stingray and Karshon respectively.
However, Wan is not going to make the film easily likable to the DC fans. TheFurious 7director made the creative decision to turn the cool shark villain into a non-shark character and pit him against Arthur Curry as a political enemy. James Wan explained this decision to Empire magazine (via The Direct):
“This Karshon is not a shark character. It’s different [from] the comic books in that sense. One of the things we wanted to do, now that Arthur is king of Atlantis, is to give him barriers within the political world. Karshon comes from the High Council and is like a political roadblock for Arthur.”
However, some DC fans welcomed the move, suggesting that Wan’s creative decision would allow for a distinction betweenThe Suicide Squad’s King Shark and Karshon.
Also Read:“We’re definitely leaning into that”: James Wan Has a Wild New Idea for Megan 2.0 to Kickstart Another Horror Franchise That Might Frighten Joe Biden Again
James Wan Teased The Premise OfAquaman and the Lost Kingdom
James Wan also provided hints about the premise of the sequel. Black Manta is seen with the Black Trident in the movie trailer, granting him god-like powers. However, Wan also shared that Black Manta“stumbles”upon a mysterious location probably referring to the ‘Lost Kingdom’. Wan told Empire,“In his quest to find ways to destroy Arthur, Black Manta stumbles onto something.”
In the comics, Atlantis once existed on land and sank to the bottom of the sea, splitting into seven kingdoms. The six kingdoms depicted inAquamanincluded Atlantis, Xebel, the Fishermen Kingdom, the Brine Kingdom, the Trench Kingdom, and the collapsed Deserters Kingdom. While fans got to know of these six kingdoms, there’s an unknown seventh one that is believed to have collapsed or hidden, potentially forming the movie’s premise.
Also Read:“Aquaman 2 is a total mess”: DCU Fans Outrage After James Wan Reveals Truth Behind Ben Affleck’s Role in Jason Momoa’s Aquaman 2
James Wan is expected to bring his elements of horror into the film.Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomwill open in theaters on June 14, 2025.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3020
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
