Aquaman 2's Test Screening Rumors About Aquababy Don't Hold Water
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article suggested the rumored test screening walkouts were related to the supposed death of Aquababy. After further investigation, we found the two separate rumors are not related.
Contains potential spoilers for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom"
"Aquaman 2" has had one of the most contentious journeys to the big screen in recent memory. Numerous news stories materialized over the past couple of years of how the film went through many different reshoots. It also didn't help that the film apparently wasn't receiving good test screenings, as there were reports people walked out of the free screenings. At the time, some people placed the blame on Amber Heard due to her messy legal drama with Johnny Depp. However, a new reason may have emerged that makes much more sense as to why people left early.
As shown in the trailer, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" will focus on Arthur Curry's (Jason Momoa) new duties as a husband and father. He has a newborn baby, which automatically makes comic book fans nervous. There's a storyline where Black Manta kills Aquababy in the comics, and some believe this plot point will be adapted into the film, especially with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Black Manta having a more prominent role.
Knowing the Aquababy storyline and with numerous reports of "Aquaman 2" test audience screening walkouts, some have speculated that the actual reason viewers left was due to the scene where Aquababy dies. It would definitely make sense that the death of an innocent baby would be too much for some, as ScreenGeek and CBR have posted about such a rumor. But as of right now, there's nothing to confirm that Aquababy dies in the movie or that the reported walkouts were related to it if it does happen.
These Aquaman 2 rumors are unfounded at the moment
The reports of "Aquaman 2" test screen walkouts have been mentioned by several sources. Grace Randolph brought them up in a video for Beyond the Trailer on YouTube, but she doesn't mention why they might have occurred. This claim is backed up by fellow movie scooper MyTimeToShineHello on X, formerly known as Twitter, who retweeted a clip of Randolph talking about the walkouts with the statement, "That is correct." So it seems as though some people did walk out of early screenings of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."
On top of that, there are also movie-related social media accounts discussing the possibility Aquababy could die in the sequel. For example, CanWeGetSomeToast posted on X, "This baby is going to f***ing die btw." However, this appears to be more of a theory than the X account knowing something about the test screenings. The YouTube channel Mr H Reviews drew a false correlation between the reports of walkouts and a possible Aquababy death. While the channel cites Randolph and MyTimeToShineHello reporting on people walking out, it's taken a step further by claiming it was due to an Aquababy scene.
Ultimately, there are two separate reports here that some outlets have combined to be related. There's the report of people leaving "Aquaman 2" showings, which is likely true based on confirmation from several sources, and then there's the theory the sequel will kill Aquababy since it was a plot point in the comics.
The "Aquaman 2" trailer does appear to hint at Aquaman's child being in danger, with Black Manta talking about wanting to destroy his enemy's entire family. But this could easily be a fakeout. Plus, even if test screenings did have a scene with Aquababy dying, there's always a chance it could be taken out for the theatrical release, especially if it didn't test well with audiences. We'll only know what Aquababy's fate is when "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" comes out on December 20.