David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick washes ashore as the writer of Aquaman 2

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

After crossing the $1.12 billion dollar mark at the box office this past weekend, you best believe that Warner Bros. is keen to secure a long and healthy reign for their little fish-turned-big fish franchise, AQUAMAN. In fact, it was only a few days ago that Warners announced development on THE TRENCH, a horror-oriented AQUAMAN spin-off centered on the terrifying amphibious creatures who were seen attacking Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Mera (Amber Heard) in James Wan's superhero blockbuster. With Wan and Peter Sanfran producing, THE TRENCH is poised to be developed using a more modest budget than DC's other tentpole superhero spectacles. News of the spin-off surprised fans of DC's aquatic avenger, particularly when some deemed the project as a threat to other anticipated endeavors, such as a proper sequel to MAN OF STEEL or the debut of a new hero for the DCEU.

Shortly after word of THE TRENCH project reached the masses, news outlets began speculating about the potential for an AQUAMAN cinematic universe. The prospect quickly sent shivers down the timbers of fans who would rather see the DCEU welcome other players to the fold rather than settle in to ride the AQUAMAN wave until it's nothing but foam and salt slapping up against a jagged shore. Then, in an attempt to calm Aquafans, Wan took to his personal Twitter account to offer a few words about the future of the franchise:

While Wan appears reluctant to dive too deep into the details of Arthur and Mera's future on the big screen, we have received word that Warner Bros. has tapped David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick to pen AQUAMAN 2. If McGoldrick's lengthy name sounds familiar, it's likely due to the fact that he co-wrote Wan's original AQUAMAN with Will Beall. McGoldrick is also an esteemed member of Wan's The Conjuring crew, having written both THE CONJURING 2 and THE CONJURING 3. Obviously, both Wan and McGoldrick have a creative synergy that yeilds incredibly positive (and lucrative) box office results. Hell, after netting over $1 bllion with AQUAMAN, it's no surprise that Warners wants McGoldrick to return for another swim in the superhero seas.

How are you feeling about the potential of an AQUAMAN cinematic universe? Are you curious about THE TRENCH spin-off or do you wish that Warner Bros. were busy making other plans? Remember, just because THE TRENCH is in the works, it's being developed on a modest budget, which will give DC the wiggle room it needs to pursue other projects of a much larger scale. In short, all is not lost with regard to a MAN OF STEEL sequel or otherwise. So go ahead, let us know what you'd like to see on DC's big screen in the comments section below.