Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom Ending Explained (In Detail)

Summary

• Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ends the DCEU with Arthur Curry's battle against Black Manta, wrapping up his journey before the DCU reboot.
• The film explores Black Manta's revenge and curse-breaking plans, leading to a dramatic showdown with Aquaman and King Kordax.
• Despite mixed audience reactions, Aquaman 2's ending symbolizes the theme of building bridges, connecting characters and worlds in a bittersweet conclusion.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom officially brings the DCEU to a close, but how does the film itself end the journey of Arthur Curry? For those unfamiliar with the franchise's history, Aquaman 2 recaps former DCEU movie events to give the film a strange sense of self-containment. The reason for this likely stems from the changes made to the film via reshoots that meant Aquaman 2 does not clash with James Gunn's upcoming DCU movie and TV slate.
While these reshoots were extensive, the film still manages to end Arthur Curry's journey in the DCEU before Gunn's rebooted franchise kicks off in 2024. The story of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom details the titular hero's battle with Black Manta, an antagonist from the first movie who returns for vengeance against Arthur Curry. By the time of Aquaman 2's post-credit scene, the conflict against Manta has come to a head. As the DCEU officially ends with Aquaman 2's story, many will begin to wonder how the film's own ending caps off the characters, stories, and emotional journeys of Jason Momoa's superhero series.