James Wan Reveals Why Willem Dafoe Does Not Return for ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’

In the first trailer for ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,’ fans may have noticed the absence of Willem Dafoe‘s Nuidis Vulko.

Director James Wan officially confirmed he couldn’t return for the movie due to scheduling conflicts. Wan said, “Part of the reason was because his schedule did not work out for us.”

Director James Wan Confirms Scheduling Conflicts as Reason for Willem Dafoe’s Absence in ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, James Wan revealed why Willem Dafoe’s Nuidis Vulko, who taught young Arthur (Jason Momoa) his fighting skills, did not appear in the ‘Aquaman’ sequel.

Wan said, “Willem is not in this one, no.” Wan added, “Part of the reason was because his schedule did not work out for us. But what that allowed me to do was expand on Atlanna’s role. Atlanna in this one ultimately becomes Arthur’s advisor. Because Arthur’s not from this world, she helps him better understand the world and the politics of how things work.”

According to Wan, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ will be a ‘bromance action-adventure movie,’ while the first one was more of a ‘romance action-adventure movie. He said, “The second movie was always going to be Arthur (Momoa) and Orm (Patrick Wilson). So, the first was a romance action-adventure movie; the second one is a bromance action-adventure movie.”

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.

All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family, and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.

Produced by Atomic Monster and Peter Safran, it will hit theaters on December 20, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures.