Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the highly-anticipated sequel to the DCEU’s highest-grossing film, Aquaman. It will also be the last DCEU film before the upcoming DCU reboot. Here’s a list of what you need to watch before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom!
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Batman v Superman features a war between Batman and Superman, as the Dark Knight is manipulated by Lex Luthor to fear the Kryptonian. Later on, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman join forces to defeat Doomsday and Lex Luthor.
While Aquaman doesn’t have a major role in BvS, this is where the character was first featured in the DCEU. Jason Momoa’s Aquaman appears in a video from Lex Corp’s Meta Human Research.
You also need to watch BvS before Justice League (where Aquaman has a bigger role), so it’s good to start here.
Justice League (2017)
In Justice League, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg to help save the world from Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons.
Aquaman has a bigger role in this movie, and this is the film where we first see the Justice League assemble. So, it’s important to watch this film to keep up with the events in the DCEU timeline.
While there are two Justice League movies, the 2017 version is the one that’s considered canon. Also, if you’re planning to do a quick binge-watch, Justice League is shorter compared to the 4-hour movie length of the Snyder Cut.
However, if you want a detailed and better version of the story, you should watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (Snyder Cut) is widely considered superior to the 2017 film, and it shows director Zack Snyder’s original vision for the film.
There are additional scenes that will certainly make you appreciate the story more, and the characters are explored in-depth. We also see more of Aquaman and his relationships with Vulko, his mentor, and Mera, as opposed to the 2017 version.
While there are questions as to whether Zack Snyder’s Justice League is canon, it’s still something worth watching considering the praise it received and the fact that it is the better version of the two Justice League movies.
Also, The Flash movie appears to acknowledge the Snyder Cut as the canon version in the DCEU, so it’s best to watch this film before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Aquaman (2018)
Of course, since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a sequel to Aquaman, it’s important to watch this first. Aquaman reveals the origin story of Arthur Curry, a half-human, half-Atlantean, and rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis. Here we learn more about Arthur Curry’s past.
Aquaman also picks up where Justice League left off, following Arthur Curry’s life one year after Steppenwolf’s defeat. In the film, we see Arthur’s journey to becoming the King of Atlantis. He goes on a quest to prevent a war between the seven underwater kingdoms and the surface world.
Additionally, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s villain is Black Manta, a character introduced in Aquaman. So, it’s best to watch the first Aquaman film before the second.
The Flash (2023)
Watching The Flash before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a must because The Flash basically resets the DCEU to fit into James Gunn’s DCU.
In The Flash, Barry goes back in time to prevent his mother’s death. In doing so, he creates an alternate timeline and “completely breaks the universe”.
Arthur Curry appears in the movie’s post-credits scene, which gives an explanation as to why Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will not really be affected by the changes in the timeline.
You can watch the trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom below:
The official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom provided alongside the trailer reads as follows:
"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. 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."
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