Summary
DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is still alive in at least one movie that just hit Netflix. The movie performed poorly at the box office but found redemption on the streaming platform.
James Gunnand Peter Safran rebranded theDCEUas DCU (DC Universe) when they took over the leadership of DC Studios. It ended all the films from the DCEU, including Ben Affleck’sBatman, Gal Gadot’sWonder Woman, Henry Cavill’sSuperman, and Jason Momoa’sAquaman. However, one of the superhero flicks that was once a box-office disappointment was able to vindicate itself after landing on Netflix.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom(2023) is the sequel to Momoa’s hit Aquaman (2018).Aquaman 2was released onNetflixin selected countries and territories across Central and South America, and it became an instant hit. Based on Tulum’s list,Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomsecured the third spot in the global Top 10 between May 26 and July 26, 2025. It comes next toThe Wild Robot, which is in the second spot, afterFear Street: Promo Queen.Aquaman 2garnered 5.8 million views and 12 million hours viewed for the said week. It also reportedly dominated the No. 1 spot in six countries. This is a relief because the film was a massive disappointment due to its underwhelming performance at the box office compared to the first film.
The originalAquamanis the highest-grossing DCEU film to date, after grossing $1.1 billion globally from an estimated budget of $200 million. Meanwhile, the sequel only grossed $435 million from an estimated $215 million budget. The second film failed to maintain the first movie’s momentum after attracting largely negative reviews. The criticisms included a weak story and writing. Critics found the plot messy and generic. They also noticed awkward dialogue between characters. The humor and chemistry between Aquaman (Momoa) and Orm (Patrick Wilson) didn’t appear natural on-screen. Instead, many felt that it was forced. BothAquamanfilms were directed by James Wan, but many felt that the second one lacked the creative spark present in the first movie. Another potential reason is casting issues. One of its primary cast members,Amber Heard, was attracting negative headlines at the time due to her legal battle with her ex-husband,Johnny Depp. During the trial, the actress claimed that her role was significantly reduced. However, Warner Bros. said it was due to her lack of chemistry with Momoa and had nothing to do with the legal proceedings. Director Wan doubled down on the studio’s defense, sayingAquaman 2was meant to be a “bromance action-adventure movie,” hence Heard’s reduced screen time.
Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom’sperformance on Netflix shows that the film is still quality despite being inferior to the first film in terms of box office performance and ratings from critics. It probably attracted more attention this time because the people had already moved on from the previous issues tied to it. Before its release, DC fans knew that Gunn would be replacing DCEU with DCU, makingAquaman 2DCEU’s last movie. So, they probably thought it wasn’t worth spending on the sequel since it was ending, and they would rather wait and watch it on streaming platforms. Another probable reason was the timing when it was released.Aquaman 2was released in December 2023, and the competition was tough during the holiday season. Additionally, there was an obvious increase in superhero fatigue and it was evident in the audience’s response to DCEU’s previous films.The FlashandShazam! Fury of the Godswere also box-office bombs.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomis not available on Netflix US, but fans can watch it on Max.
