It appears that Warner Brothers isn’t rushing into development on a sequel to December’s biggest hit, ‘Aquaman’. The DC Comics action epic is still playing in theaters, but will be out on home video next month. Considering this is now the highest-grossing DC Comics-inspired movie, one might think that WB would immediately start planning a follow-up, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Rumors have emerged that a spinoff, ‘The Trench’ is in the works. This movie would feature the sharp-toothed, carnivorous monsters shown in ‘Aquaman’. This would be a lower-priced horror movie and would not feature Jason Momoa or any of the other stars of ‘Aquaman’, however, director James Wan, who gained fame helming horror flicks in the ‘Conjuring’, ‘Insidious’, and ‘Annabelle’ franchises, commented on ‘The Trench’. And while he didn’t confirm or deny the film’s development, his inclusion of a “winky” emoji seems to hint that this picture is not only on its way, but that he may tackle it himself.
Where does that leave a proper sequel to ‘Aquaman’? Patience. From the sound of things, Wan and Momoa want to pause for a beat before diving back into the demanding world of DC’s Sea King. In a report about ‘The Trench’, The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “But while any discussions of a direct sequel have not engaged on any sort of serious level by the studio, director James Wan or star Jason Momoa, with all the players seemingly intent on taking a breather and their time, there is talk of a spinoff.”
In fact, before ‘Aquaman’ had even opened, Wan expressed that he might never direct another superhero movie at all. These flicks are far more complicated and time-consuming to make than others, and Wan made his name on low-budget horror. He may want to step back and return to smaller projects for a bit, and who could blame him?
As for Momoa, ‘Aquaman’ established him as a certified movie star. He should probably take advantage of the momentum to headline some other movies, just to show range, even if he only makes another action movie or two.
For fans who enjoyed ‘Aquaman’, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. It’s best for Wan, Momoa and everyone else involved, if they take all the time they need to deliver a high-quality sequel, and give fans time to miss Aquaman and his friends and foes.
What do you think? Do you want an ‘Aquaman’ sequel sooner than later? Or are you willing to wait?
