We recently found out that Aquaman director James Wan intends on returning to his roots to shoot a hard-R horror film this fall, before he dives back into the world of DC to work on Aquaman 2. We don’t yet know whether he will ultimately direct that film or not, but either way, he may find himself without his titular her. That’s because Jason Momoa says he can’t shoot Aquaman 2 due to activism. Take a look:
Jason Momoa says he won’t be able to shoot Aquaman 2 for Warner Bros. because he got ran over by a bulldozer in the course of his activism. He’s certainly right that such an event would likely hinder his ability to film the DC sequel. Jason Momoa may be using a bit of morbid humor here alluding to his death, but the cause he is addressing and fighting for is quite serious to the actor.
The man who plays the defender of the deep is trying to defend the land, specifically a sacred mountain in his native Hawaii. Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii is the state’s tallest mountain, a dormant volcano that is considered the most sacred site for Indigenous Hawaiians. The issue Jason Momoa is protesting and willing to stand in front of a bulldozer for is the construction proposed to take place on Mauna Kea.
Mauna Kea is the proposed building site for the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), an extremely large telescope that would be the world’s largest. This telescope would allow astronomers and astrophysicists to see wide and deep into space, helping them to learn more about the universe and how it came to be. Scientist would also use the TMT to study dark matter and black holes and to detect exoplanets that could be home to intelligent life.
Elsewhere, Jason Momoa has expressed his support of the TMT’s goals of scientific discovery. The problem for the actor is that this is a massive undertaking of construction would take place on land sacred to Native Hawaiians that he calls “unscathed.”
The image posted in his Instagram is from the construction of the 8.2-meter Subaru Telescope, also on Mauna Kea. He is lamenting that the TMT will be even bigger and thus more of his native land, in a sacred spot, will be “desecrated.” Since production was set to begin in July, Jason Momoa has been among the protesters blocking construction. Although the protests have been peaceful, some protesters have been arrested.
Jason Momoa and the protesters are hoping for the TMT to go somewhere else like the project's alternate, backup site in the Canary Islands. By throwing Aquaman 2 into the conversation, Jason Momoa brings more attention to his cause, even if whatever happens with the TMT ultimately won’t affect that sequel film.
Aquaman isn’t the only DC actor who has become involved in this issue. Future Black Adam Dwayne Johnson has also supported the protesters, as has Leonardo DiCaprio.
Pending this issue gets resolved one way or another and Jason Momoa remains un-bulldozed, Aquaman 2 is set to start shooting next year for a December 16, 2022 release date. For movies arriving this year, check out our premiere guide.
