DC Studios‘ last gasp before James Gunn reboots the DCU is coming to the Max streaming service later this month. Swimming onto the platform on February 27, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom debuted in theaters last year during the Christmas holiday stretch. Unfortunately, the James Wan-directed Aquaman 2 floated on the surface of the box office like a dead fish, with $123 million domestically and $433 million worldwide. In contrast, Aquaman netted $335M in the United States and $1.1B worldwide. The difference in dollars earned between both films is staggering, with multiple culprits to blame for the film’s failure, including wild on-set rumors, Amber Heard’s legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp, and DC jumping the gun on its plans to reboot the DCEU.

“Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all,” reads the official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. “This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family and the world from irreversible destruction.”

Jason Momoa stars as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family, and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.

JoBlo’s Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, felt like he was drowning while watching Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, saying in his review, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom feels like a dull slog, with action sequences that lack any bite and a complex mythology that’s hard to invest in as it feels tacked on. It seems to be placing a bow on the DCEU with an ending that seems a bit like a farewell to this era of DC movies, but it ends with a whimper rather than a bang. This is a disappointing follow-up to a pretty excellent superhero movie. Hopefully, Wan licks his wounds and returns to making quirky, weird horror movies – a genre he seems much happier in.”

Still, it’s essential to make your own opinion about these things. So, you can do just that when Aquaman 2 comes to Max on February 27. I’ve yet to see Aquaman 2, but I plan to do so when the movie hits Max, for better or worse. DC Studios is poised to enter a new era with James Gunn and Peter Safran taking the reins, and I speak for many fans when I say we’re excited and hoping for the best! Let’s go!

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