We are less than 100 days away from getting Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which will serve as the final remnant of the DC Extended Universe. The upcoming James Wan directional will mark the end of an ambitious but highly cluttered superhero franchise. And it seems like Warner Bros Discovery has lost all faith in it, which is visible by the media conglomerate’s poor marketing campaigns for the film.
We all know how grandly WB promoted Black Adam and The Flash, both of which bombed miserably at the global box office. Apart from these two entries, the studio collaborated with DC to release Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Blue Beetle. The latter film might have won some fans’ hearts, thanks to a brave and heartful collaborative effort from director Angel Manuel Soto and the film’s cast. But it was not big enough to save a crumbling superhero franchise.
It seems like the recent financial failures have stopped WB from giving a damn about Aquaman 2. We are nearly three months away from getting the sequel in theatres, and we do not even have an official poster for the film. So far, we have a teaser for the film’s trailer, and its arrival time does not feel right to the DC fans.
Several fans have severely criticised WB’s marketing strategy for Aquaman 2 on social media. Let’s check out some of their reactions!
It’s a little late to be dropping marketing material for a movie that comes out in less than 100 days…
— Your Disney Scoop (@YourDisneyScoop) September 11, 2023
this is going to be bad. it has all the signs from just the teaser trailer. I lowkey wish this movie didn't exist 🤦🏾🤦🏾
— Deorè❄️ (@KingMaverick_) September 11, 2023
Its a decent teaser but we're gonna need more before I decide to go to the theater for sure. Prove it worthy in a story trailer or 2…
— Al Goodman(CoachGoody421) (@AlGoody421) September 11, 2023
oh a trailer of a trailer
— TREVY TREV (@idonothaveanat) September 11, 2023
Sounds like Aquaman 2 is a sinking ship, and no amount of money can save it!
We're only 3 months away from release, and we've seen nothing about this film. No teaser, no trailer, not even a poster…
It's going to bomb, and Warners knows it! That's why they have given up on it. https://t.co/5w5EUlpys4
— Edward James Lauder (@EJLauder) September 10, 2023
Warner Bros Discovery is currently focused on promoting Dune: Part Two, which has been pushed back to March 2024 due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. It shows that the studio is not confident with Aquaman 2 at all. This situation worsens after considering several reshoots and changes in release windows that have plagued the sequel. Plus, fans have not forgotten Amber Heard and her controversy with Johnny Depp, even if the studio has done everything possible to keep her out of the film’s promotional materials. #AmberHeardIsALiar is still active on X (Twitter), which is probably not the best marketing for the film.
Do you remember that time when Aquaman arrived in theatres back in 2018? It collected over $1.1 billion and established itself as the highest-grossing DCEU film. That was surprising, considering the aquatic superhero has been treated as joke material in many TV shows and movies. After all, swimming and talking to fish is not as cool as taking out the bad guys with the help of Batman’s Batmobile or Superman’s heat vision.
Rumours are swirling about WB planning to postpone Aquaman 2’s release amidst the ongoing Hollywood strikes. If that happens, it will be great for the sequel, allowing the cast of ‘Lost Kingdom’ to actively participate in the film’s promotion. It will come out on December 20. Stay tuned for more updates.
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