The DC Universe has had plenty of peaks and valleys since it began with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. There’s been some major behind the scenes shake ups, including James Gunn and Peter Safran recently being named co-CEOs of the DCU. But a number of upcoming DC movies were already in the can when that change in leadership occurred, including Aquaman 2. It turns out that one of the franchise’s wildest characters has an expanded role in The Lost Kingdom, and I’m digging director Jame Wan’s tease.
The first Aquaman movie was a success partly because it had a unique visual language and James Wan did some excellent world building. One fan favorite character was the giant drumming octopus, which was featured prominently in the first movie’s marketing. James Wan spoke to Empire about the sequel, and revealed that said Octopus (named Topo) is actually a full fledged character in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In his words:
Topo is a real character in this one! In the comic, he’s a big part of Arthur’s life – a sidekick, pet, friend. So, we’re leaning into that.
Honestly, sign me up. The Aquaman franchise is decidedly more bonkers than other corners of the old DCEU, and it sounds like James Wan is definitely going to be bringing on the weird with the long-awaited DC sequel. Case in point: Topo’s larger role.
Wan’s comments to Empire are a prime example of what he learned from the first Aquaman movie. The Saw filmmaker was able to see what audiences responded to, and then deliver on what they might like to see. And I can’t wait to see Topo’s scenes with Arthur Curry in Aquaman 2.
So what was it like filming those new Topo sequences, especially since the character needs CGI to truly be brought to life? James Wan shared that directing Momoa, who is rumored to be switching from Aquaman to Lobo in the new DCU. As Wan put it:
I love the relationship Jason has built with this octopus. It was really fun to watch him ‘act’ with Topo. Sometimes we would have an actor standing in by ‘muppeting’ a goofy stick puppet – watching Jason play off that was so funny. I think people are going to enjoy Arthur and Topo’s relationship.
Is it December 20th yet? These scenes sound super fun, especially with Jason Momoa flexing his comedic muscles once more. Hopefully Topo also gets involved in whatever action the upcoming DC flick will bring to theaters.
Wan’s comments to Empire come as fans are still questioning how big certain roles in The Lost Kingdom are. Specifically, there are rumors that Amber Heard’s Mera is barely in the project. After all, she was noticeably missing from Aquaman 2’s trailer.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will hit theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
