Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren has shared that the DCEU is about to outdo itself with Aquaman 2. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the star revealed that the upcoming action movie Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is “more exciting” than any flick featuring the Atlantean superhero that we’ve seen before.
Lundgren played King Nereus, ruler of the Xebel kingdom and Mera’s (Amber Heard) father, in James Wan’s 2018 hit fantasy movie Aquaman. The first aquatic film in the superhero’s cinematic solo series, starring Jason Momoa in the titular role, made a splash at the box office, earning an impressive $1.13 billion worldwide. It was the first film in DC’s collective franchise since Christopher Nolan’s Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises to break the $1 billion barrier, making Aquaman go down as one of the company’s most successful features to date. But according to Lundgren, Aquaman 2 is on track to surpass everyone’s expectations.
When asked how his experience filming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom compared to the first Aquaman movie, Lundgren – who is reprising his role as King Nereus – shared how the upcoming sequel is a step up from its impressive predecessor. “That whole picture is just a class act. Everybody from James Wan and Jason Momoa to Amber Heard and the producers. I think this one is better,” the actor explained.
“I think the script is stronger, and it’s more exciting. The technology has moved forward in four years, so I was really pleased to be a part of it,” Lundgren continued. “James Wan is just going to blow everybody away again by this tremendous world that he creates. He’s involved in every little detail, even every little piece of every weapon, and I think it’s going to be great.”
Currently, plot details about this “stronger” script are being kept under wraps. However, we know that Wan was heavily inspired by the Italian horror movie Planet of the Vampires when writing Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s story. The Conjuring director also revealed that the upcoming sequel will draw on ideas from the 1986 four-issue Aquaman comic book miniseries by Neal Pozner.
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Only time will tell if fans agree with Lundgren’s statement about Aquaman 2 surpassing the first movie. However, given the star’s excitement and Wan’s creative approach to the upcoming flick, it looks like it will be a memorable addition to the DCEU regardless.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will dive into cinemas on December 16, 2022.