And with that, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's chances of box office success may well have been sunk.
There's already a limited amount of interest in the DCEU's offerings after January's DCU slate reveal and what's proven to be an underwhelming 2023, but Jason Momoa has now essentially confirmed his time as the King of Atlantis will end next week. That's not exactly a great selling point for the sequel!
Talking to Entertainment Tonight, the actor said, "I don’t necessarily want it to be the end...[but] I don’t think it's really, like, a choice." He'd go on to explain that's because DC Studios' James Gunn and Peter Safran want "to start their own new thing up."
"The truth of it is, I mean, if the audience loves it, then there's a possibility," he said of his future as Arthur Curry. "But right now, I’m like, 'It's not looking too good.'"
"I love this character and [I would want to] play it for a long time. I kind of see where I would want it to go. And even in the next 10 years or so, like there's a lot of cool things they can do. And I do enjoy the role and the world. So, I mean, it just comes down to if people love it."
As for whether there's a chance he'll be part of the DCU in another way, Momoa once again suggested swapping Aquaman for Lobo. "If there's a place in their world for me, I would love to be a part of it," he shared. "This is my home. Warner and DC is definitely my home. So, that’s all I'll say."
"I was a big Lobo fan growing up, I read every comic. So that would be really cool."
The movie's lead star telling a major entertainment news site that he's essentially been fired from his role will do very little to help Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Instead, it's likely to be taken as a sign by fans and regular filmgoers alike that there's no real need to pay to watch a movie that, moving forward, doesn't matter.
A new Black Manta featurette for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been released which you can watch below.
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom splashes down into theaters on December 22.