Aquaman 2 is officially in development at Warner Bros. and DC Films, but Aquaman director James Wan reportedly won’t sign on to return until he sees a great script. The latest DC Comics cinematic universe - unofficially called the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) - movie was Wan’s aquatic adventure following Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry. Though the superhero was first introduced in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and returned for Justice League, Aquaman was the character’s true origin story. By the end of the film, Arthur had become the King of Atlantis and donned the classic Aquaman comic book costume, complete with King Atlan’s Trident.

Reviews of Aquaman have been relatively mixed-to-positive; it was by no means as ravaged by critics as Batman V Superman or Suicide Squad in 2016. Further, Aquaman became the first DCEU movie to earn $1 billion at the global box office, making it a resounding success for Warner Bros. and DC Films. As such, it should come as no surprise that Warner Bros. has already been discussing Aquaman 2, though Wan isn’t signed on to direct the sequel just yet. Now, a new update on the Aquaman sequel is revealed.

Deadline is reporting that an Aquaman sequel is officially in development at Warner Bros. and DC Films. The report further states the studio is currently “courting” Wan to return and it looks likely he will in fact be back in the director’s chair on a sequel because he’s invested in the character and underwater world. As for Wan, the director’s representatives say he is taking a break after all the work he put into the first film, but sources tell Deadline the helmer won’t sign on to return for Aquaman 2 unless he sees a good script.

Considering the success of Aquaman - it’s the first DC movie since Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises to pass the $1 billion benchmark - it makes sense for Warner Bros. to put a sequel into development. After all, Justice League test audiences ranked Momoa’s Aquaman as one of their favorite superheroes coming out of the team-up film. Wonder Woman, the highest ranked by test audiences, already has a sequel in production, with Wonder Woman 1984 hitting theaters in June 2020. With Warner Bros. putting Aquaman 2 into development, it’s clear the studio is focusing on the strengths of their DC universe, particularly Wonder Woman and Aquaman.

It still remains to be seen if Wan officially signs on to direct Aquaman 2, and who will pen the script. The first film featured a story by Wan, DC’s Geoff Johns and Will Beall, with Beall and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick writing the script itself. It’s unclear if Beall or Johnson-McGoldrick will return. So, while fans may be excited that Warner Bros. is looking to continue the story of Momoa’s superhero, there’s still plenty we don’t know yet about the sequel. However, as development continues, expect more updates about Aquaman 2.

Next: How Aquaman’s Ending Sets Up An Even Better Sequel

Source: Deadline

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