For Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Jason Momoa is reportedly being paid double his salary on the first DCEU film. The first Aquaman in 2018 was a massive hit, directed by James Wan, earning over $1.148 billion at the box office. Although he was first seen in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Aquaman is a proper introduction to the character of Arthur Curry (Momoa) and the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. The film follows Aquaman's attempts to stop a war from raging between the sea world and the land world above.
Not long after the first film's success, it was announced that an Aquaman sequel was in the works, with both Momoa and Wan returning. Although much remains unknown about the upcoming Aquaman follow-up film, fans of the character were treated to a brief cameo at the end of HBO Max's Peacemaker show. In addition to Momoa, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will also feature performances from Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
While much remains unknown about the upcoming Aquaman sequel, a new report from Variety reveals that Momoa's salary is essentially double that of the first installment. Momoa is being paid $15 million for his role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, meaning his salary on the first film was around $7.5 million. The report explains that Momoa signed on to do a sequel as part of his original deal for Aquaman. Still, the star renegotiated his contract after the first film became a significant success.
As the highest-grossing DCEU film thus far, Aquaman set expectations high for the sequel. Considering the disappointing box office performance of other DCEU movies like Justice League and Wonder Woman 1984, Momoa's successful outing in Aquaman paved the way for the actor to negotiate a higher salary, especially considering the sequel will likely also be a high earner. Momoa's pay, while notably higher than what he earned for the first film, is still $5 million short of the $20 million salary frequently afforded to major movie stars for theatrically released films.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Momoa's character in the upcoming sequel and beyond, but Momoa has proven himself instrumental to the DCEU brand. Suppose the Aquaman sequel performs well and a third film is given the green light. In that case, Momoa will likely be able to negotiate an even higher salary, potentially reaching as high as $20 million. Momoa's higher salary for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom doesn't mean that the film will be a hit, and it's still unclear how audiences will receive it critically and commercially. -Variety
