Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been a surprisingly controversial sequel. One would think that because it’s following up a billion-dollar smash and reuniting a well-loved director in James Wan and a well-loved leading man in Jason Momoa, it would have been a slam dunk. But, the film has faced a staggering amount of behind-the-scenes drama, including reshoots, release date delays, and lousy test screenings (which began two years ago). Plus, it’s been through no less than three studio regimes, and that’s not even counting the fact that one of the stars, Amber Heard, has been seemingly cancelled by an angry public following the civil trial with Johnny Depp. Plus, a new superhero fatigue has resulted in movies like The Flash and The Marvels flopping at the box office.
So, how does Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom fare despite all of that?
