Aquaman’s Last Stand Begins in the ‘Lost Kingdom’ Trailer

The DC Extended Universe has reached its conclusion, and it has been a bit of a bumpy road getting there — or perhaps saying the seas have been choppy would be more accurate in this case. That’s because the final entry in this cinematic universe turns out to be Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the sequel to what turned out to be, somewhat surprisingly, the single highest grossing DC movie in history: 2018’s Aquaman, which grossed north of $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office. After this second Aquaman film, the DCEU will be retired, and a new cinematic universe will launch in the months ahead, under the stewardship of new DC co-ceos James Gunn and Peter Safran.

In this sequel, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman returns — but, alas, so does his mortal enemy, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). And Manta wants Aquaman’s young son, forcing the watery hero and his allies (which now includes his estranged brother Orm (Patrick Wilson)) into a “last stand,” as the trailer puts it. You can watch the latest clip below:

READ MORE: 15 Actors Who Turned Down Huge DC Roles

The new film is largely a reunion for the first. It was once again directed by James Wan, and feature many returning cast members; in addition to Momoa, Abdul-Mateen, and Wilson, there’s also Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison, Randall Park, and Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus.

Here is the film’s official synopsis:

Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled to open in theaters on December 22. Tickets for the film are on sale now.