Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Ben Affleck's cameo cut from the movie

Even with somebody like James Gunn at the helm of DC Studios' creative side, there is no end to issues plaguing the DC brand when it comes to the big screen. After the massive disaster that The Flash was, apparently the sequel to 2018's Aquaman, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, has problems of its own. As per a piece in The Hollywood Reporter, the film has undergone three rounds of reshoots and several test screenings, none of them promising. The piece also claimed that at one point the film had two Batmans, one played by Ben Affleck and one by Michael Keaton.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's numerous challenges

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Lost Kingdom has encountered several challenges on its journey toward the December 20 release date. Originally scheduled for December 2022, it faced multiple delays and underwent changes during its production, spanning three leadership regimes at Warner Bros. The film was greenlit during the tenure of former film boss Toby Emmerich and DC Films head Walter Hamada, following the unexpected success of the first Aquaman movie, which remains the highest-grossing DC film of all time.

Principal photography wrapped up in January 2022, but soon after, both Emmerich and Hamada left due to the merger that created Warner Bros Discovery. Subsequently, the film experienced two rounds of reshoots and uninspiring test screenings between summer 2022 and the beginning of 2023. With the involvement of new Warner Bros. film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, the editing process saw shifts in creative direction. Despite their efforts, some test screenings still fell short, leading to another round of reshoots.

The case of two Batmans

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom also faced difficulties with integrating Batman's character, as the shifting release dates disrupted plans involving Michael Keaton's portrayal of the character. Ben Affleck eventually joined reshoots to replace Keaton's scene, but the film's ever-changing schedule affected the inclusion of both versions of the Dark Knight in the final cut.

Also Read:After The Flash, every upcoming DC movie: Superman Legacy, Aquaman 2, and more

What is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom about?

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom brings back James Wan, and Momoa once again dons the mantle of the half-human, half-Atlantean superhero. Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Kidman also reprise their roles.It releases on December 25, 2023.

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