Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has finally reached a UK digital streaming release date – but its official debut on Max (in the US) is still at the bottom of the ocean.
The final DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film didn’t hit theaters until the last few days of 2023, but Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has wasted no time in making sure audiences can watch too. Aquaman 2 in the comfort of their own home.
The superhero film was made available on the most popular digital platforms – including Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV and Vudu – in the US from January 23. Now, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is also available to rent or buy via the same online stories on British shores from today (7 February). The film starring Jason Momoa will also soon be physically released on 4K UHD, DVD and Blu-Ray, with a March 12 launch for US audiences before breaking the UK waves on March 18.
Aquarius‘s second film proved to be the final nail in the DCEU’s coffin. WBD’s cinematic juggernaut was reborn as the DC Cinematic Universe (DCU) – under the creative direction of DC Studios’ new co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran – after The Lost Kingdom‘s theatrical release, ending the critically and commercially divisive franchise that began with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013.
Despite being panned by critics, Aquaman 2 gave the DCEU a surprisingly decent send-off. Per Box Office Mojoit earned $423.9 million on the big screen – a total that was $112 million less than the other 2023 DC releases in Shazam! 2, The flashAnd Blue Beetle combined.
When does Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom debut on Max?
Aquaman 2The game’s availability on digital stores around the world may be a pleasant development for some viewers, but I suspect there are many more who want to know when the game will finally hit Max in the United States. The film should also be available on Sky in the UK and Netflix in Australia at some point, although the wait for its arrival in these countries could be a long one.
So, when will Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which was released in theaters on December 20, will join its DCEU siblings on one of the world’s top streaming services? The simple answer is: we don’t know. However, we can speculate when this will happen based on the other three DCEU films released last year.
To take Blue Beetle, for example. The film hit stores on August 18, made its digital streaming debut on September 26, and was then added to Max’s film library on November 17 (but it didn’t make our list of the best Max films). It took five weeks. before making its first leap from the big to the small screen, with a three-month gap between its theatrical release and arrival on Max.
However, The flash And Shazam! 2 launched on Max closer to their original debut in theaters. Both films made their official streaming debut two months after they hit theaters, although this likely happened due to their poor box office performances.
If we use that data as a guide, we shouldn’t expect that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will make its own appearance at Max until the end of March. It would be commercially naive of WBD to make it available ‘free’ on Max before the physical editions hit stores in mid-March. Why should American fans buy a physical copy of the film when they can stream it on Max? They wouldn’t exactly do that. So it’s in WBD’s best interest to bring Aquaman 2 to its superstreamer until a later date. Keep an eye on our new Max movie list for more details when it eventually arrives.