Aquaman 2 Confirms Whether Willem Dafoe's Vulko Is Dead
The following article contains spoilers for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom"
With "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" now available, the DC Extended Universe that began with "Man of Steel" has come to an end. Unfortunately, not every character had a chance to see it through, and that includes Nuidis Vulko, played by Willem Dafoe in 2018's "Aquaman" and 2021's "Zack Snyder's Justice League." He functions as a mentor figure and is the one who encourages Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman (Jason Momoa), to seek out the Trident of Atlan. But he's absent in the sequel, which is explained away as him dying off-screen.
Vulko does not die in combat. Instead, it's described that he passed away from a plague that emerged from increasing pollution. Serving as an allegory for real-world concerns regarding environmental degradation, the source of the pollution is initially believed to be that from the rest of the planet, causing Aquaman to want to pursue an agreement of sorts between Atlantis and land dwellers. Later in the movie, it's revealed the rise in greenhouse gases is due to Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) utilizing orichalcum, a fuel source, to enhance his own powers. Vulko is merely a casualty in that pursuit, but there's a more practical reason why Dafoe couldn't star in "Aquaman 2."
The real reason Willem Dafoe didn't return as Vulko for Aquaman 2
Several months before "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" came out, director James Wan confirmed Willem Dafoe wouldn't be in the movie. Instead of recasting the part of Vulko, the creative team merely decided to write him out. The cause of Dafoe's exclusion is an old standby in Hollywood — scheduling conflicts.
It makes sense when looking at Dafoe's filmography that he'd be too busy for "Aquaman 2." In 2023 alone, the actor appeared in "Inside," "Asteroid City," "Poor Things," "Finally Dawn," "Pet Shop Days," and "Gonzo Girl." He even had a voiceover role in Studio Ghibli's "The Boy and the Heron." Dafoe is an actor who likes to keep busy, maneuvering between high-profile fare and more independent projects. Given the hectic filming schedule of "Aquaman 2," which included three rounds of reshoots in one year, it's understandable why Dafoe would bow out of appearing in the final DCEU movie.
Instead, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) takes on much of the role of a mentor toward her son, Arthur. It would be a bit redundant to have two mentors for the same guy in a movie, so his presence likely isn't missed too much. And Dafoe may be thankful he chose the likes of "Poor Things" and "Asteroid City" over "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," as it currently holds a negative score on Rotten Tomatoes.