An official HBO listing might have just revealed the Max streaming release date for the DCEU's final movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
After a long streak of box office flops, the DCEU ended on a relative high as Aquaman 2 raked in the franchise's highest box office haul since the pandemic and its billion-dollar-grossing 2019 predecessor.
Unfortunately, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom didn't exactly receive the best reception, garnering the DCEU's joint-worst CinemaScore of a "B" from audiences and a measly 34% Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics.
[ Full Cast of Aquaman 2 - Every Actor & Character In DC Sequel ]
When Will Aquaman 2 Release on Max?
The official HBO schedule listed for Saturday, March 2 left a blank space for an unannounced movie to air at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. As this primetime window is usually reserved for new releases that often debut on Max the night before on Friday, many believe Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom may take the slot.
If Aquaman 2 were to fit into the HBO schedule on March 2, fans can expect the Jason Momoa-led flick to begin streaming on Max the day before on Friday, March 1. This trend was previously followed by The Flash, The Nun II, and Barbie, which all came to Max on a Friday before airing on HBO the next night around 8 p.m. ET.
For example, The Color Purple will take the 8 p.m. ET HBO timeslot on Saturday, February 17, the evening after its confirmed Max release for Friday, February 16.
To only further solidify Aquaman 2 will air in the unannounced slot, three prior DCEU movies - Black Adam, The Flash, and Blue Beetle - with be on HBO back-to-back-to-back starting from 1:13 p.m. ET/10:13 a.m. PT.
Warner Bros.' only other recent release awaiting a Max release date announcement is Wonka, but the DCEU marathon lined up ahead of the blank window seems to suggest Aquaman 2 will take the slot.
A Max release date of Friday, March 1 for Aquaman 2 would come 70 days after its December 22 theatrical debut. This theatrical-to-streaming window would fall in line with those of Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash while running several weeks shorter than the previous DCEU movie, Blue Beetle:
- The Batman - March 4, 2022 - April 18, 2022 (45 days)
- Black Adam - October 21, 2022 - December 16, 2022 (56 days)
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods - March 17, 2023 - May 23, 2023 (67 days)
- The Flash - June 16, 2023 - August 25, 2023 (70 days)
- Blue Beetle - August 18, 2023 - November 17, 2023 (91 days)
Will Aquaman 2 Find More Success on Streaming?
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom may be the highest-grossing DCEU movie since 2019, but that isn't saying much as the Atlantean sequel still only grossed $429.73 million worldwide on a $205 million budget.
As movie theaters usually take around half the box office haul and the $205 million budget figure doesn't include marketing, Aquaman 2 may well have amounted to a theatrical loss for Warner Bros., or at best a very minor profit.
Obviously, Warner Bros. will now be hoping to recoup as much of those losses as possible from the recent digital release and with the upcoming physical drop, while also getting as many streaming eyes on Aquaman 2 as they can.
While audiences may not have turned up to theaters for Aquaman 2, perhaps streaming from the comfort of a couch at home may be a more appealing option that finally gets some more eyes on the DCEU's last hurrah.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is available now for digital purchase.
