Dolph Lundgren has revealed that he’s “disappointed” with the version of Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom that viewers have seen in cinemas.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, Lundgren – who stars in the franchise as Nereus, the king of the Atlantean tribe of Xebel, and also the father of Mera (Amber Heard) – said that the original cut and script for the recently released Aquaman sequel was “really good”.
Following Amber Heard’s defamation trial against Johnny Depp, the actress’ role in the second Aquaman film was greatly reduced. As a result, Lundgren’s involvement in The Lost Kingdom was also cut down, which he suggests impacted the final cut of the superhero film.
Jason Momoa and Amber Heard in ‘Aquaman’ (2018). CREDIT: DC COMICS/DN ENTERTAINMENT/WARNER BROS / Album
“I just realized that it was some kind of corporate decision that they try to limit Amber Heard and then I’m playing with her dad and went along with it,” Lundgren explained to ComicBook.com.
Due to Heard’s reduced role, the film was allegedly reworked. According to Lundgren, he “didn’t see any reason to start reshooting and reshaping the story.” He continued: “I was just disappointed for the moviegoers, because I thought the original script was great and the original cut – I saw a little bit of it, it was really good, so I didn’t see any reason to start reshooting and reshaping the story, which obviously led to disappointment in the moviegoers and not just me.”
Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom released just ahead of Christmas 2023. It stars Jason Momoa as the titular hero alongside Patrick Wilson as Orm, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Randall Park as Stephen Shin among others.
In December, Momoa cast doubt over the future of his take on the superhero, saying: “I don’t necessarily want it to be the end… [but] I don’t think it’s really, like, a choice. The truth of it is, I mean, if the audience loves it, then there’s a possibility. But right now, I’m like, ‘It’s not looking too good.’”
Patrick Wilson as Orm and Jason Momoa as Aquaman in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. CREDIT: Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures/ ™ & © DC Comics
He added: “I love this character and [I would want to] play it for a long time. I kind of see where I would want it to go. And even in the next 10 years or so, like there’s a lot of cool things they can do. And I do enjoy the role and the world. So, I mean, it just comes down to if people love it.”
His comments came after James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reins of the DC as co-CEOS. Since Gunn and Safran were appointed last year, a number of projects have been cancelled and postponed, including Henry Cavill’s return as Superman (as teased in Black Adam) and Wonder Woman 3.
Gunn is set to kick off his rebooted DC movie universe with Superman Legacy starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult. The film is slated to be released July 11, 2025.
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