Is Aquababy Dead Or Alive: Aquaman 2 Confirms Whether Arthur Curry & Mera's Son Dies
Contains spoilers for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom"
Before the release of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," there were reports the son of Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Mera (Amber Heard) would be introduced and killed off in the story. However, the rumors turned out to be false. In the movie, while the child is kidnapped by Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), he survives the film's action-packed conclusion in an ending that sees the King of Atlantis battle one of his nation's most ancient and powerful forbearers.
As "Aquaman 2" neared its release late December release, the film was plagued with immense online speculation concerning baby Arthur Jr.'s fate, with many fans believing Black Manta would somehow replicate the horrors of his comic book counterpart. On X (formerly Twitter), high-profile scooper @CanWeGetSomeToast directly stated months before the film's release, "This baby is going to f*****g die, btw." Even director James Wan was pressed about this possibility in early December at a CCXP panel in Brazil, responding, "We'll see. That'd be dark."
Finally, after a grueling production cycle that saw multiple delays and rounds of reshoots, DC fans finally got to see just how far Wan pushed the envelope with his sequel. Luckily for the Curry family, things ended on a much more optimistic note. However, as longtime DC fans know, this wasn't the case in the comics.
What happened to Aquababy in the pages of DC Comics?
In "Adventure Comics" #452 (by David Michelinie, Jim Aparo, and Jerry Serpe), Black Manta invades Atlantis and kidnaps Arthur Curry Jr. The villain traps the child in an air-filled device, knowing he can only breathe underwater. To save his son, Aquaman is forced into a grueling fight with his former protégé, Aqualad. Despite his best efforts, the comic ends with the death of Aquaman's son. The tragic moment arrived during an era when comics were getting darker and more cynical. Four years earlier, Gwen Stacy was killed at the hands of Green Goblin, and before that, Green Lantern and Green Arrow were tackling serious issues like drug addiction and poverty.
Ultimately, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" forgoes the gut wrenching tragedy portrayed in the comics. The movie ends with Black Manta's apparent death and an Atlantean victory; Arthur Jr. is reunited with his son, giving the film and the Curry family a happy ending. Seeing as how the film is the last entry in the tumultuous DCEU franchise, that may have been for the best.