Aquaman 2 Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed: Is The Final DCEU Movie Fresh Or Rotten?

"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" isn't just the sequel to 2018's "Aquaman," it's also set to be the final entry in Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe. Despite that fact, there's been very little anticipation surrounding the "Aquaman" sequel's late December release, and what little buzz there's been for the film has been largely negative up to this point. Unfortunately, if the early reviews for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" are any indication, it looks like moviegoers and comic book readers may have been right to keep their expectations and excitement for the film low.

The first wave of reviews for the new, James Wan-directed superhero adventure has been largely negative. As of this writing, the film currently holds only a 38% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. That means the movie has a decidedly "rotten" rating and, considering that its Tomatometer score is already based on nearly 100 reviews, the odds of it going up more than a few percentage points seem extremely low.

Obviously, this isn't the critical response that Warner Bros. or anyone involved in the film was likely hoping it would receive. The "Aquaman" sequel now seems primed to not only be a fitting final addition to a year of remarkable lows for superhero fans, but also send the DCEU out on a disappointingly lackluster note. Indeed, the film is shaping up to be one of its franchise's lowest-rated entries.

As a franchise, the DCEU has never been a critical darling. The series' first entry, "Man of Steel," famously received a lukewarm response from critics when it was released in 2013, still holding only a 56% Tomatometer score. In the following years, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (29%), 'Suicide Squad" (26%), "Justice League" (39%), "Wonder Woman 1984" (58%), "Black Adam" (38%), and "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" (49%) all went on to earn similarly rotten Tomatometer scores.

"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" isn't, in other words, the first DCEU film that has been received poorly by critics. The fact that the film has been sold as the final DCEU entry does make its 38% Tomatometer score a bit more noteworthy, as does the reception that its predecessor received five years ago. 2018's "Aquaman" not only raked in over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, but it also received mostly positive reviews when it was released. It currently holds a 66% Tomatometer score, which isn't high but is considerably better than its sequel.

It remains to be seen whether or not "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" will be able to financially overcome its disappointing critical reception. Early projections have suggested that the "Aquaman" sequel's box office opening is shaping up to be another superhero disaster this year. That's disappointing for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" will likely be the last DCEU adventure that fans ever see.