“Aquaman 2”: Max opens with the failed and last DCEU film

Maxformerly known as HBO Maxsuccessfully carried out its brand renewal and along with this news, included in its catalog Aquaman and the lost kingdom (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom)which brings an end to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The second film of the superhero played by Jason Momoa It premiered in theaters on December 20, 2023, achieving a global collection of $434 million, a high figure but still representing a new—and final—failure for the franchise.

The plot narrates the confrontation between the king of the seven seas and his enemy Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who equipped with the powerful Black Trident, threatens to unleash an ancient evil force. In an attempt to stop this threat, Aquaman teams up with his brother. Ormthe former king of Atlantis (Patrick Wilson), in order to overcome their differences and save their underwater world from permanent destruction. The cast is completed with Amber HeardDolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison y Nicole Kidman.

The title directed by James Wan maintains a 34% score on Rotten Tomatoes, being described by critics as “chaotic”, and largely affected by the closure of the DCEU, reshoots, budget problems, the four postponements of its release date and, finally , the Heard’s accusations against Momoa involving work and psychological harassment. This complicated journey to its theatrical debut made it one of the most turbulent franchises in history, sealing its title as the most controversial superhero film of 2023.

However, specialized critics highlight that, despite the drawbacks, the film maintains its fun essence, providing an entertaining sequel that surprises the public. This is largely due to the balance betweenaction adventure and bromance”, as Wan stressed during a press conference reported by CBR.

Of course, although the global collection doubles its budget of 205 million dollars [aproximadamente], is a disappointing result considering that, for a feature film of this caliber to achieve success, it must at least triple its investment. The failure is more notable if we contrast it with the great reception of the first installment, released in 2018, which exceeded 1.1 billion dollars.

The production was carried out by Wan, Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, while Galen Vaisman and Walter Hamada serve as executive producers. The script was once again written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (The orphan), who also developed the script with Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, based on the DC characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger.

DC Studiosunder the new direction of James Gunn y Peter Safran, announced in 2023 a complete restructuring of the franchise’s main timeline. With the death of the old franchise, the new universe is called DCUwhich excludes all previous films and series as canon, opting for updated versions of the characters with a mostly renewed cast.

Among the first productions that are part of the reboot, stands out Supergirlmade by Milly Alcockwho gave life to the teenage version of Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon. In addition, the project is also underway Superman: Legacycon David Corenswet in the role of Clark Kent, alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult in an antagonistic role.

Other well-received titles such as The Batman made by Robert Pattinsono Joker: Folie a Deux of Joaquin Phoenixwill be included in the category of Elseworlds (“Other worlds”), which will allow alternative narratives to be explored without affecting the main line. Of course, characters like Blue Beetle (Xolo Maridueña), Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) and Peacemaker (John Cena) will have the same actors, but their origins could be slightly different.

Aquaman and the lost kingdom came to streamingincluding itself in the platform of Max. Although if you want to see it on the big screen, it is still available in theaters in countries like Argentina, Mexico and Peru. For more details, check the local billboard.