Aquaman 2's Surprise Only Murders In The Building Star Cameo Explained
There are some genuinely wild moments in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," the sequel to Jason Momoa's sea-swept solo outing as the titular hero. However, one highlight in this superhero story comes with a trip to a new location in Arthur Curry aka Aquaman's adventure, where viewers meet Kingfish, ruler of a safe haven for pirates known as the Sunken Citadel.
Fitting the criteria needed for a crooked slimeball sort, Kingfish looks like he'd get along with Jabba the Hutt in "Star Wars." Keeping his fins firmly in the criminal under(sea)world, he gives up information to Arthur and his brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) regarding the whereabouts of their foe, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). He is voiced by none other than "Only Murders in the Building" star Martin Short. It's a brief appearance from Short, who has voice credits consisting of "The Prince of Egypt" and "Treasure Planet."
In "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," Short leans hard into the weasel-type for Curry to throw around a bit for comedic effect, but is quite the contrast from the original Kingfish in the comics. Had Arthur gone up against that version, he might've had a bigger threat than just Black Manta to deal with.
The Kingfish in the comics almost takes over Atlantis
Making his debut in DC Comics in Aquaman #54 in 1999, Kingfish was a far more intimidating threat to Arthur than in the James Wan film. Hoping to take over Atlantis and snatch the throne from Aquaman, Kingfish used a toxin from Gindola fish to drive his subjects insane and turn on our hero, sending the kingdom into chaos. Kingfish's tactic spanned six issues before, thankfully, the Aqua-fam managed to end Kingfish's plans.
While that kind of threat level doesn't present itself in "The Lost Kingdom," the chances of Kingfish making a comeback are unlikely. The evidence all but confirms that Jason Momoa is officially done as the King of Atlantis now that the new DCU is on the way. So, chances of Short's returning stint as Kingfish have washed away with it. There might be an opportunity for Short to fill a voice slot in Gunn's DC Universe in the future somewhere, but there's no telling what the future may hold.