If Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom is as concerned with conservation and the environmental problem as the advertising imagery suggests, the film may become the most appropriate modern superhero scenario. Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, and Indya Moore feature in the sequel, which is directed by James Wan and written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Aquaman 2 will be officially premiered on December 16, 2022.
Formerly, Aquaman has not gained popularity as much as other superhero franchises. Aquaman was best recognized for the jokes surrounding his uniquely fish-centric superpowers before Momoa’s DCEU rendition of the character. But that power is likely an undesirable phenomenon partly attributable to his portrayal in Super Friends. The Atlantis hero has had a comeback in recent times, but he still has a long way to become as famous as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and even the Flash.
Despite this, Aquaman 2 has the potential to make it the most crucial superhero film of the contemporary period — if the stated ecological themes are as pervasive as they appear to be. The climate catastrophe is perhaps the most critical concern confronting humanity nowadays, and if Aquaman 2 gets its plot and messaging right, it may be a game-changer. It could make a significant impact with its large blockbuster platform. Below are the reasons why.
The Climate Crisis Has Not Been Concerned In Superhero Films
Superhero films and television series have never been the focus of significant social debate, and they should not be expected to be. Nevertheless, throughout the recent years, this kind of film has at least sought to give more deep commentary on pertinent problems, as evidenced in some movie sequences of MCU on Disney+ like WandaVision, which focuses on grieving and mental health, or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which seeks to cope with class split and the persistent persecution on Black Americans.
Regardless of the fact that it is one of the most pressing issues facing the world today, the climate problem, on the other hand, has received little attention in the modern superhero film. Avengers: Endgame – which deals vaguely with the consequences of resource lack and careless management of ecology – and the first Aquaman are the most recent superhero films to have even explored the issue. Wan, Momoa, and other characters have the opportunity in Aquaman 2 to create a greater sequel to the original picture, eventually creating a superhero film that places the environment at the center of the story.
Explanation of Aquaman’s Environmentalist Past
Aquaman has long been one of the most ecologically conscious superheroes in the comic book universe. His whole past, as well as the nature of his talents, establishes him as a guardian of the natural world, not simply the human and Atlantean worlds. While the hero’s ability to speak with aquatic animals is sometimes mocked, it connects Aquaman to the Earth in a manner that few other famous superheroes do, especially when it comes to guarding and conserving the seas. Momoa has taken on the role of Aquaman in the real world, speaking before the United Nations about the urgency of rapid climate protection policies. In his time in college, he was a marine science student, who has frequently spoken out on environmental causes, connecting his Aquaman persona to the problems confronting the earth nowadays.
The Theme Of Aquaman 2 Is Environmental Protection
Momoa expressed his ambitions for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom being a significant narrative about the significance of environmental conservation in promotional videos aired during DC FanDome 2021. It’s considered as a sequel of the original Aquaman narrative, which had plotlines concerning pollution caused by humans and contempt for the water sources, oceans, and seas. Because no teasers have been published, it’s difficult to predict how important ecological themes will be in Aquaman 2. Momoa, on the other hand, has an established track record as an actor. Still, given Momoa’s past history as an environmental activist, it is plausible that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will live up to his vow.
At the very least, it will be fascinating to watch how Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom combines its grander fantasy plot — one involving the original King of Atlantis and the different kingdoms of the underwater realm – with the deeper, more relevant article on the climate catastrophe. Wan has stated that future vision would be a significant aspect of Aquaman 2, along with the returns of DC characters, there might not be enough time for a completely new subplot concerning real-world environmentalists. Obviously, the ideal case is a film that smoothly weaves such relevant concerns into its superhero story. However, it has yet to be demonstrated that the film is able of doing so.
The sequel to Aquaman must go above and beyond the original film
The original Aquaman film attempted to address the real-world consequences of pollution and climate change, but it did less than its possibility, instead, falling too heavily into a conventional superhero plot with less to say. Orm, also known as Ocean Master, despises humans for their repeated disdain for aquatic environments, driving him to take harsh steps in the reaction. Giving a morally gray character ecological tendencies isn’t inherently problematic, but Orm’s representation in Aquaman is far from ethically gray. He’s a stereotypical terrible person with hardly little screen time dedicated to what’s warranted in his ideas, leading to an ecological message saying almost nothing.
If Aquaman 2 is a breakthrough, a successful superhero film about environmentalism that Momoa appears to be hoping for, it must outperform its earliest. Keeping pro-environmentalists away from foolish, one-dimensional antagonists would be a good start, but it’s not the only thing that has to be done. Again, combining serious, real-world issues such as the incontrovertible effects of global warming with a family-friendly superhuman narrative is no simple undertaking. Then again, studios would not want to disappoint their consumers, and a heavily loaded plot full of didactic speeches about nature seldom convinces anyone of anything. Despite this, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has a genuine chance of conveying a significant, affecting narrative – one that could be able to motivate the youngsters and parents who come to watch it that it’s good enough to justify their greatest effort and hard work to defend the Earth in whatever means they could.
