Jason Momoa shares Aquaman 2 filming wrap and experiences

That's a wrap in Hawai'i. You'll have to wait to see Aquaman but you can check out my new bio-based Knoxville collaboration with @electric available now. Proceeds go to @sustainablecoastlineshawaii for the good of the islands and the people. Aloha J

Fans and friends joined in on congratulating the actor.

Dwayne Johnson

, star of the upcoming Black Adam film, was one of the first to congratulate Momoa and the Aquaman 2 production. The man called The Rock commented on Momoa's Instagram post:

Congratulations, Uso!! That's a big deal. Proud of you, James, cast & crew. Enjoy some cheat meals!! Cheeehooo

Momoa expressed his relief in finishing the 6 months of production, and being able to take a break, having finished in his home area of Hawaiii.

Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom director James Wan also shared his thoughts. In an interview with Total Film, Wan noted the darker, more mature themes in the second Aquaman film, promising that it is:

…a movie that's more mature than Aquaman, but yet still retains its fun.

In an earlier 2020 Total Film interview, Wan previously discussed how the first movie laid the foundation for exploring the darker elements in Aquaman's world:

https://twitter.com/totalfilm/status/1297311693006163968

Well, the first movie took a lot of people by surprise, right? And that's partially because they were not familiar with the comic book, which deals in this very lurid, strange world. People were taken aback that I didn't throw all that stuff away and make a dark, heavy film. But I didn't feel that would have been right for it. So with the second film, I feel it will be easier for people to accept where we go because I've already laid the foundation.

The scenes that featured The Trench and the titanic Karathen (which was ironically voiced by Julie Andrews) in the 2018 film showed a glimpse of the mystery and horrific elements present in Aquaman's mythos. Wan also mentioned in prior interviews that the tone of Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom is inspired by Planet of the Vampires.

What could the sequel have in store that could top the previous horror elements? The end credits of the 2018 Aquaman film did have Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park) hinting about exploring the kingdoms of Atlantis. This may provide a clue as to where the direction the sequel will take. We do know that

Arthur Curry aka Orin will need a new stealthier suit

for the dangers he will face.

Momoa's relief after announcing the wrap of the filming Aquaman 2 is understandable. The film had been mired by multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the official start only taking place just June of this year.

Momoa and co-star Amber Heard (Mera) even shared their intensive physical training

for keeping pace with the physicality of their scenes.

In a guest-appearance on The Ellen Show last October, he talked about the injuries he incurred during the sequel's filming:

I'm getting old, that's what's happening… I messed up my eyes and just got something in it that kind of cut it up. I've gotta get surgery. I have a hernia, I've got ribs out. I'm just getting beat up… I love my job and I get a little too excited and then, you know, the age thing. I'm an ageing superhero right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcCdHm3SFMM

Superhero films have been known to be very taxing on stars. Even with their stunt doubles, actors in the superheroic genre will be expected to be in tip-top shape in order to make it believable for close up shots. And despite safety precautions, accidents and injuries do happen, as Momoa relates here. Now that filming has wrapped post-production for editing and VFX will begin in early 2022.

Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom stars Jason Momoa,

Amber Heard

, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Dolph Lundgren. The DCEU superhero film swims to theaters on December 16, 2022.