Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director confirms Willem Dafoe won’t appear in the sequel

The first trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was finally released this morning, just months before the sequel is slated to hit theaters. Most everyone has returned to reprise their roles, but there is one notable absence: Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Aquaman’s mentor.

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan confirmed that Willem Dafoe will not be making an appearance in the sequel. “Willem is not in this one, no,” Wan said. “Part of the reason was because his schedule did not work out for us. But what that allowed me to do was expand on Atlanna’s role. Atlanna in this one ultimately becomes Arthur’s advisor. Because Arthur’s not from this world, she helps him better understand the world and the politics of how things work.” Nuidis Vulko was a definite highlight of the first Aquaman movie for me, so it’s a little disappointing that Willem Dafoe won’t be back for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

“Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all,” reads the official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. “This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.“

Jason Momoa stars as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will hit theaters on December 20th.