Jason Momoa Wrote His Own Aquaman 2 Treatment With Climate Change as the Villain

Jason Momoa reportedly wrote a 50-page treatment for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but it seems the studio had other plans for the upcoming DC sequel.

Momoa previously told Variety that he co-wrote the first story treatment for Aquaman 2, and it was going to focus heavily on the climate change crisis. The film would see Aquaman as a sort of environmental activist, a shift that Momoa thought would have been particularly powerful in today’s culture.

“The beautiful thing [about ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’] is me and my partner wrote the first treatment for it and it was about a 50-page treatment, and a lot of it has to deal with me talking to the U.N. about what’s happening with the melting ice caps,” Momoa said to Variety. “There’s no far off galaxy coming to destroy us or aliens from another place. It’s us ruining our planet. We need to get it together and save our home.”

Despite Momoa’s passion for his treatment, it seems Warner Bros had different ideas. In a new interview with Men’s Health, Momoa revealed that his story treatment was shelved during production. The actor says that Warner Bros, who owns DC Studios, bought his treatment but did not follow it completely. Men’s Health writes: “That bugs him and spins him into an impassioned, salty riff.”

Momoa’s feelings about Aquaman are pretty conflicted, and it’s evident that he’s a bit conflicted as to how the character was treated at DC.

“It’s not that I don’t care about Aquaman; it’s a wonderful character,” he told Men’s Health. “Aquaman is probably the hardest character in comic-book history. He’s made fun of and ridiculed, but I tried to give it heart and soul, and I’m proud of it in certain ways. Do I feel pressure for [the sequel] to do well? No. All I can do is give it my all. But it’s in a lot of other people’s hands.”

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is slated for a December 25 release date, could be the last time fans will see Momoa as the King of the Sea. The future of DC now lies in the hands of new DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran, and it’s unclear if Momoa will return as Aquaman.

Back in January, Momoa seemed to imply he would in fact have a role in the new DC. The star had a private meeting with Warner and DC executives, resulting in him excitedly saying he had some “really good news” to share. Even if Momoa has a place in Gunn and Safran’s DC, though, we still don’t know what that role will look like exactly. Either way, Momoa is adamant that Aquaman will be a part of DC’s future.

“I absolutely think Aquaman will be involved in the DCU,” Momoa told Total Film in March. “It’s on, bro – there’s no one bigger than Aquaman! But, also, I hope people are excited to see the new one. It’s fun. I really enjoy doing comedy. There’s some really funny stuff with Patrick Wilson. I really adore him. We had a great time working together. It’s like we’re brothers. There’s a lot of cool stuff happening in this one.”

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.