The DCEU is coming to an end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and eagle-eyed viewers have found a familiar shot in the movie’s teaser trailer.
A teaser trailer has finally been released for DCEU’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and one shot of Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry looks awfully familiar. Marketing has finally begun in earnest for the Aquaman sequel, which hadn’t seen much promotion as efforts were focused on The Flash and Blue Beetle. With the SAG-AFTRA strike also precluding the movie’s cast from doing much of the marketing they usually would, little was known about the sequel to DC’s $1 billion hit.
The Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom teaser trailer showcases exciting new footage of Aquaman as he reluctantly teams up with his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson). The due will face off against the first movie’s villain, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manta, who returns with a powerful artifact capable of bringing destruction to Atlantis. While the trailer promises an exciting romp to close off the DCEU, some perceptive viewers have noticed that the trailer isn’t entirely footage from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Which Aquaman 2 Teaser Shot Is Recycled From A 5-Year-Old Aquaman Trailer
The Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom teaser trailer opens with a shot of Arthur Curry in fairly traditional clothing, soaking wet and standing on a beach in front of exotic-looking rock formations and greenery. As he slowly takes a step forward, he locks eyes on something behind the camera and seems to be quite concerned. The shot only lasts for about two seconds before cutting to stylized text and new footage from the upcoming DCEU movie.
In and of itself, the shot isn’t particularly memorable, but it’s gained a bit of attention because it doesn’t seem to actually be from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Not only is the quick shot from the first Aquaman, but it was also featured in one of its trailers. Going for about the same two seconds as it does in the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer, the scene of Arthur appears at the 1:07 mark of the post-release Aquaman trailer from November 2018.
Why The Aquaman 2 Teaser Reused Old Footage From An Aquaman Trailer
While it may be surprising to see Aquaman footage in the teaser trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (without it being presented as flashback material), it’s actually not a terribly uncommon practice and is done for several reasons. In this particular case, the marketing team likely used an older shot to avoid revealing too much footage that they plan to use in later trailers. This first reveal is only a teaser for the full trailer to come Thursday, and that trailer will likely not have the Aquaman footage included.
The second reason is that using old footage can avoid spoiling too much. The shot of Aquaman looking disheveled on a beach can sell an emotion and tone that the marketing team wants to portray without giving away every emotional shot from the final film. While more scenes will be revealed as marketing continues to ramp up for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, it makes sense some appropriate footage from the first film is filling in for the time being.
