Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Cuts 2 Batman Cameos

If you’re hoping to see Batman in the next Aquaman movie, you’re going to be disappointed. Not only has DC axed Michael Keaton’s cameo, but Ben Affleck’s as well, suggested a pivot away from The Flash’s poorly received star-stuffed finale.

It’s slightly more complicated than that, though. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom marks the end of DC’s current phase, which is set for a shake-up with James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy in 2025. Ahead of this, it doesn’t make sense for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to tease characters from DC’s soon-to-be-rebooted extended universe.

The Hollywood Reporter recently published an examination of the film's production struggles, writing: “[DC Films head Walter Hamada] wanted Michael Keaton’s version of the character to be akin to Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury in the Marvel movies — an elder statesman who could pop up in various films, including the now-shelved Batgirl, as well as The Lost Kingdom. But shifting release dates muddled things.”

“In late July 2022…Ben Affleck joined a round of reshoots as Bruce Wayne, to replace a scene Keaton shot. But then the movie was moved again,...The latest cut of the film features neither version of the Dark Knight, according to sources, as new DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran do not want to promise a movie universe that will not come to fruition.”

While 2018’s Aquaman is DC’s highest-grossing movie of all time, generating $1.148 billion, it’s looking unlikely Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will achieve the same level of success, especially with recent failures in The Flash, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and Black Adam damaging the DC brand.

Maybe The Flash will recoup its costs on the home market? Here's our guide to The Flash digital release: where to buy, how to watch.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be in theatres December 20.