Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom had a really good original cut according to star Dolph Lundgren, a similar sentiment shared by others within the now defunct DCEU.
Speaking to ComicBook, King Nereus actor Lundgren said he felt disappointed for fans who went to see Aquaman 2 because the version that reached cinemas wasn't as good as the original cut. Lundgren blamed a "corporate decision" to limit the screen time of Mera, played by Amber Heard, which he suggested led to major changes being made to the original script and cut.
"I just realized that it was some kind of corporate decision that they try to limit Amber Heard and then I’m playing her dad and went along with it," said.
"I was just disappointed for the moviegoers, because I thought the original script was great and the original cut — I saw a little bit of it, it was really good. So I didn’t see any reason to start reshooting and reshaping the story, which obviously led to disappointment in the moviegoers and not just me."
This isn't the first time those involved in the DCEU have claimed the original versions of films have been better than the final release. Zack Snyder's Justice League famously received a Snyder Cut release following a fan campaign, prompting Suicide Squad director David Ayer to call for a re-release of his own movie.
The updated, four hour long Justice League was generally considered to be an improvement upon the original, and Ayer has long maintained that "his version" of Suicide Squad would have the same result. He remained positive about the eventual Ayer Cut release for years, even as DC Studios transitions away from the DCEU to its new James Gunn and Peter Safran-led era, but that hope is now gone as Ayer is "done with DC".
Aquaman 2 was the last DCEU entry, ending things without much of a splash critically or commercially. "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom shines as a buddy comedy, but gets dragged down by shoddy effects and a dull first act," IGN said in our 6/10 review.
