Jason Momoa will receive a huge payout if, for some reason, Aquaman 2 goes to streaming. The highly anticipated sequel is Momoa's second solo film as Arthur Curry in the DCEU. The actor has also played the role of Aquaman via a cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and in both iterations of Justice League. It was in Momoa's solo movie, though, released in 2018, that his character really soared. Despite not being beloved by critics, many still cited it as one of the most fun DCEU movies to be released yet, as the tone of Aquaman is decidedly lighter than the rest of the franchise.
Aquaman was also the first DC movie to cross $1 billion at the box office, making a sequel all but inevitable. Currently, Momoa is in production on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Amber Heard will also return as Meera, while Patrick Wilson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II are slated to reprise their roles as Ocean Master and Black Manta, respectively. The sequel is taking a much more expansive approach, exploring the various underwater kingdoms that Arthur had left behind when he was young. Now that he has accepted his role as the King of Atlantis, though, he has much to learn in the upcoming film.
Momoa himself has also learned a thing or two from recent real-life events. Matt Belloni reports via his What I'm Hearing newsletter that the actor is slated to get a big payday from Warner Bros. in the event Aquaman 2 goes to streaming. The deal comes via Momoa's agent, who may be worried about the current state of the theatrical industry.
Lately, studios have shown that they have no problem sending some of their biggest blockbusters to their in-house streaming services. Disney is currently in the midst of a very public lawsuit with Marvel star Scarlett Johansson, who is suing over the release of Black Widow on Disney+. Similarly, WB found themselves mired in talent negotiations earlier this year when they decided to release their entire 2021 slate on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously, a move that includes Momoa's own upcoming Dune.
Provisions like this are likely to become industry standard going forward. The exhibition industry remains as unpredictable as ever and could even be upended before the fall movie season kicks off thanks to the rise of the Delta COVID variant. While it may seem premature for Momoa to make these moves nearly a year and a half out from the release of Aquaman 2, there's no telling what the state of the industry will be like then and with grumblings of other stars considering filing various lawsuits, both Momoa and the WB likely want to avoid any sort of public battle that could play out because of a dispute.
Source: What I'm Hearing
