There are a lot of superpowers that save the day in the DC universe, but two stars of Marvel’s chief rival for comic book cinema domination seem to believe that the most important is the power of friendship. Or, at least, the power of having friendships with those in power. Aquaman himself Jason Momoa has finally broken his silence on the potential for the King of Atlantis to swim into James Gunn’s rebooted DCU, and it’s sounding suspiciously similar to Zachary Levi‘s responses about Shazam.
“Peter [Safran]’s my producer [on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom], and is a dear friend,” is what Momoa told Total Film (via GamesRadar) when asked about what’s next for Arthur Curry once the James Wan-directed sequel arrives this Christmas season and the reboot button is hit on the shared franchise. “I absolutely think Aquaman will be involved in the DCU. It’s on, bro – there’s no one bigger than Aquaman!”
It seems Safran has a habit of forming close bonds with his stars as the producer is also good buddies with Levi, thanks to his work on the two Shazam films. It’s no surprise that the Fury of the Gods actor has previously likewise used his friendship with Safran as Exhibit A for why he’s hopeful he’ll return in the DCU, which is of course helmed by both Gunn and Safran. As Levi memorably once joked, “if they don’t have a plan [for more Shazam], then they are not my friends anymore.”
Unfortunately, that quip was made several months ahead of Shazam! 2‘s release, and it’s notable that Levi has yet to bring his friendship with Gunn and Safran back up in the wake of Fury of the Gods seriously floundering both financially and critically. In fact, Levi has gone on the warpath on social media, spilling behind the scenes secrets with the same reckless abandon as when Shazam uses his lightning to charge people’s phones. So much so that fans are convinced the actor is sure he’s worn the spandex for the last time.
It may seem pessimistic, but it’s not hard to imagine a similar situation playing out at the end of the year, if Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom likewise fails to make much of an impression. However much Gunn and Safran may value their friendships with their leading men, at the end of the day the duo are running a billions-deep business and are ultimately at the behest of Warner Bros. high-ups. If the corporate incentive isn’t there to continue the Shazam and Aquaman brands anymore, then their hands are tied.
Having said that, 2019’s Aquaman remains the highest-grossing DCEU film ever, so it certainly has a step up on Shazam! 2. And, who knows, there’s still room for more of Levi’s Billy Batson, considering his newfound ties to the Justice Society. There is a world in which both Momoa and Levi live on as Aquaman and Shazam in the DCU, but it probably won’t be the power of friendship that makes it happen.