Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could possibly involve a conflict between Atlantis and the surface world. Jason Momoa has made numerous appearances in the DCEU as Arther Curry aka Aquaman, but it was in 2018 he got his solo movie Aquaman which saw him assume to be the king of Atlantis. For Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, his next adventure might take some unexpected turns.
In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Arthur and his half-brother Orm, aka Ocean Master, are said to be coming together on a quest to a forgotten underwater kingdom. Additionally, Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne is set to make an appearance in the movie, indicating the surface world will a play role in the sequel.
Set photos shared by Jason Momoa in deleted Instagram show Arthur speaking before the United Nations. while Momoa indicated that this scene might not be included in the final scene, it does raise the question of why the King of Atlantis Aquaman is addressing the United Nations.
Given Aquaman’s affiliation with the Justice League in addition to his status as King of Atlantis, it would make sense for him to request for Atlantis to Join the UN.
However, Aquaman might be a strictly diplomatic one. Under Orm’s leadership, Atlantis was already plotting an attack on the surface world in the first movie, which Arthur averted with the help of Mera and Vulko.
With Atlantis already viewing the surface world’s pollution of the seven seas with hostility, maintaining peace between the two would be a goal of Arthur’s as a human-Atlantean hybrid. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might reveal Atlantis is no longer sticking to diplomacy to do.
Why an Atlantean Conflict with the Surface world is possible in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?
In both Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Aquaman, Arthur Curry is shown as a loner with no reverence for his Atlantean heritage, only finally embracing it once he has become king of Atlantis.
After the event of both films, including being forced to team up with ORM, Arthur’s outlook might shift somewhat. Specifically, Arthur might come to see that ORM was not entirely wrong about the pollution and general environmental damage the surface wreaking in his ocean kingdom.
That does not mean that Arthur will go straight toward the nuclear option as ORM was preparing for, but it could suggest he might come to see defending Atlantis as requiring him to be sterner with the surface.
Arthur addressing the U.N. could be intended as a warning that he can avoid a war against the surface world and Atlantis is willing to cooperate and put an end to their pollution of Earth’s water bodies. Atlantis and the surface world are frequently at odds in the comics.
Still, we might see this in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Aquaman flex his powers to issue an ultimatum to the surface world, which would signal a massive sea change for the DCU.
