Dolph Lundgren made his return to the DC Universe as Nereus in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. However, it seems the action legend was disappointed with the reduced role of his character and Amber Heard’s Mera in the sequel.
A lot of rumors have been circulating about Mera’s Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom role being cut down. However, it seems Amber Heard isn’t the only star who got the short end of the stick in the sequel. Nereus actor Dolph Lundgren claims he originally had a much bigger role in the DC Universe film.
“My opinion is that I thought the original script was great. I was a bigger part of it and Amber Heard was a bigger part of it,” Lundgren explained during a recent talk with UPI. “The studio decided, I guess, to just reshoot a bunch of footage to try to rebuild a slightly different storyline. That’s tricky because you can’t reshoot the whole movie.”
“When you start inserting different story elements into something [with which] there was a unity that worked, then you can get in trouble. It was a little frustrating for me. I felt a little disappointed, but life goes on.”
Interestingly, Dolph Lundgren’s comments seem to conflict with Aquaman director James Wan, who claimed that he never reduced Amber Heard’s role in the sequel. Regardless of which version is true, it’s a shame fans didn’t get more of Mera and Nereus during their brief stint in the DC Universe. Here’s to hoping the next time Lundgren joins a superhero film, he gets done justice!
The future of the DC Universe
James Gunn and Peter Safran told journalists that their vision for the DC Universe includes locked scripts, wiggle room, and a unified storyline across film, television, animation, and video game projects. The two explained that the DC Universe could bring back elements from previous DC regimes, meaning that their eight-to-year plan is not a full reboot.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have all been released following the announcement of the new DC Universe, all four projects struggling at the box office. Will the characters from those movies make appearances in the new DCU? Only Gunn and Safran know.
Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe after Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom!
