Aquaman 2: Was That The Trench Queen? DC's Ultimate Underwater Monster Explained

One of the highlights of the first live-action "Aquaman" movie is when Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and Mera (Amber Heard) travel to the Trench in their quest to recover Atlantis' lost trident. It's here they encounter the Trench dwellers, giving director James Wan a chance to flex those horror film muscles. There was even going to be a full "Trench" movie that was eventually canceled, but based on the trailer for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," it looks like the Trench will still play a factor, potentially introducing a major player from the comics. 

Many Trench monsters are featured in the trailer, and at one point, Aquaman goes head-to-head with a much larger beast than normal. While it isn't specified, it's very well possible this is the deadly Trench Queen. Granted, it could be something else entirely, but the Trench Queen would make sense. The monster was first introduced in the comics in "Aquaman" #2 in October 2011. She normally stays deep within the Marianas Trench producing offspring, but Aquaman and Mera travel there to rescue humans who have been taken in as food. With Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) acquiring the Black Trident, bringing the Trench back into the mix is a good way to keep the stakes high while introducing new threats to this underwater world.

"Aquaman 2" director James Wan is no stranger to creepy monsters and malevolent forces. He got his start in the horror genre, filming the likes of "Saw," "Insidious," and "The Conjuring." He may have transitioned over to blockbuster filmmaking, but he hasn't lost sight of his roots, and in addition to the Trench Queen, the "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" trailer promises plenty of other freaky beasts. It looks as though an army of the undead come into play, and there are several formidable-looking beasts that are sure to cause Arthur and crew problems. Even if the monster in question isn't the Trench Queen, it's still perfectly Wan-esque. 

In fact, there have been multiple Trench Queens in the comics. After the death of the first one, Trench Queen II was introduced in "Aquaman" Vol. 8 #56. She's marginally more civilized than her predecessor. There's still hostility between the Trench and other kingdoms, but she usually makes an attempt to keep peace when possible. However, the monster depicted in the trailer certainly seems more animalistic, and if they are indeed going to adapt the creature to the big screen, it'll probably be more in line with earlier incarnations of the character. 

Even though a fully-fledged "Trench" movie never came to fruition, fans can still get their fix with "Aquaman 2," coming to theaters on December 20.