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The DC Extended Universe opts to release one movie in 2018 after delivering two entries each in 2016 and 2017, but this one is a doozy. Not only is Aquaman putting Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry front and center following his cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and his full debut in Justice League, it will also be a lot of time underwater (a first for a superhero movie) to explore Atlantis, including its history. Today DC and Warner Bros dropped a new, 5-minute-long trailer that was packed with a lot of cool moments, including Mera activating an Atlantean device that displayed a hologram of one of Atlantis' deceased kings. The late, unnamed ruler explained the meaning of the trident Arthur will eventually wield, but his presence has me wondering if Aquaman 2 (which, to be clear, has not gotten the green light yet) could feature Atlan, the Dead King, as its main antagonist.
There have been many adaptation of the Atlantis myth, but most follow the same basic principle: it was a city / continent that somehow sunk into the sea. In the case of the DC universe, specifically the post-New 52 era, we have Atlan to thank for this. As one can be overdue from his Dead King moniker, he ruled Atlantis centuries ago, but he was usurped by his brother Orin, who also killed Atlan's wife and children. Atlantis, seventeen weapons from the Gold of Legacy, he was taken back Atlantis, but consumed by rage, he finally used his scepter to sink the city. Atlantis was accidentally reawakened in Antarctica by Aquaman, and he once again tried to destroy Atlantis, but was eventually defeated when Arthur used Atlan's own scepter against him.
We know that the Aquaman movie is drawing heavily from Geoff Johns' run on the Aquaman comic book, and since Atlan was the final villain of said run, it was not unreasonable to assume that he could be introduced into the Aquaman sequel. And upon watching the latest Aquaman trailer, you might even wonder if hologram king is Atlan. That 's certainly possible, but this one would be wrong to kill the hologram about the trident would bring destruction in the wrong hands. First off, it appears that Aquaman's trident is replacing Atlan's scepter as the tool that causes Atlantis to sink in the DCEU. But more importantly, why would the other countries be able to do this irresponsibly? More, the crowd shot below indicates that this king was one of the "true heirs" that so long ago, so he would have no need, or even have the capability, to sink Atlantis. On the other hand, we do not know how long before this is the case, and this one may have been used in the past.
Assuming the Dead King ends up being Aquaman 2There are two scenarios that can be seen being used. The first follows the New 52's approach to the character. That hologram is of Atlan, and sometime after recording that hologram, he was tossed from the throne by his brother Orin and left to die. Thirsty for vengeance, he somehow obtained the trident, sunk Atlantis and was preserved beneath the surface in some kind of stasis. In the present, he is reawakened, looks like a selfie from the comics and tries to sixteen Atlantis from Arthur, as Arthur is a descendant of his traitorous brother, and thus not worthy of ruling. The second scenario takes some creative liberties; this hologram is still of Atlan, but he is not the Dead King. That title belongs to his brother or someone else who is thrown into the throne, and then tries to channel the trident's power, ended up sinking Atlantis. The Dead King is reawakened, he tries to take over Atlantis, and so on. Make no mistake, whoever holds the Dead King title in the DCEU would be a formidable adversary for Aquaman, between his natural Atlantean abilities, his cryokinesis (being able to manipulate ice and snow) and the various weapons he wields.
Of course, all of this is assuming that the Dead King is chosen to be Aquaman 2Baddie's hand. Maybe someone else will have that role; perhaps a certain deep sea-diving, laser-blasting mercenary? Although Black Manta will be an important player in Aquaman, he's not the primary antagonist. Orm, a.k.a. Ocean Master, will fill that position, as he is seeking to unite the seven underwater kingdoms to join him in declaring war on the surface as retaliation for polluting the oceans for so long. However, producer Peter Safran previously said that they "have every intention that Manta plays a very large role in the DC universe." Aquaman is simply serving as his origin story, so is assured, he'll be back. The question becomes the villain Aquaman 2 or continue to cause trouble on the side, and then snag the villainous spotlight in Aquaman 3?
As an Aquaman fan, I'd be okay with Black Manta or the Dead King being the lead baddie Aquaman 2Black Manta stands a better chance, but I'm inclined to think about it. But do not count out the Dead King. Even if he does not start Aquaman 3Aquaman has faced the decades of being a antagonist, and since we will be learning about Atlantis' DCEU history, it would be a waste for these movies sitting on the sidelines.
Aquaman dives into theaters on December 21, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage on that, more about a potential sequel. In the meantime, browse through our DC movies guide to learn what else is in development for the DCEU.
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