Jason Momoa Says 'Aquaman 2' Filming May Be Delayed Due to Mauna Kea Protests

Warner Brothers announced in February that Aquaman 2 will be slotted for a December 2022 release (almost four years after the first installments release). The decision to continue the franchise was easy enough: James Wans Aquaman grossed over $355 million domestic and over a billion worldwide, making the film DCEUs highest-grossing film.

All this is, of course, depends on Momoas participation, and it looks like he wont be ready to start shooting the project any time soon.

FUCK THIS. And TMT is 4x bigger. Sorry Warner Bros we cant shoot Aquaman 2. Because Jason got run over by a bulldozer trying to stop the desecration of his native land THIS iS NOT HAPPENING. WE ARE NOT LETTING YOU DO THIS ANYMORE. Enough is enough. Go somewhere else. Repost. This is what telescope construction looks like (Subaru Telescope, 1992). The TMT will be four times larger on unscathed land. We must protect our scared mountain from further desecration. #KuKiaiMauna #WeAreMaunaKea #TMTShutdown A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies) on Aug 8, 2019 at 6:39pm PDT

Construction on the TMT, a $1.4 billion instrument anticipated to be twelve times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, had been scheduled to begin on July 15. The instrument would allow scientists to study exoplanets and dark matter and energy .

While all the science is well and good, the project has been mired in controversy due to the telescope's intended location: Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano and the highest point in the state. The summit of the mountain is deemed sacred; in Hawaiian mythology the volcano acts as a region for deities. TMT International Observatory, the non-profit organization leading the project, said in a statement that their decision to build at that location was the culmination of a rigorous five-year [testing] campaign. Rigorous or not, the decision has inflamed Hawaiians like Momoa who see the project as cultural desecration.

Born in Hanolulu, Momoas father is of Native Hawaiian ancestry. The tattoo on Momoas left forearm (nine rows of arrows) alludes to his familys personal aumakua, an ancestral spirit in Hawaiian mythology.

Momoa has been joined by thousands of other protestors as well as Dwayne Johnson (who plays Maui in Disneys Moana, the studios celebration of Polynesian culture).

Legal battles over the construction have gone on for years; TMT broke ground in October of 2014 before the Hawaii Supreme Court revoked the permit the following year.

On July 17, trucks carrying construction materials were blocked by protests from reaching the volcano. Protestors peacefully stood and danced in the street. Momoa has been there ever since.

We are surrounded. Kani Ka Pu!!! Saddle road is blocked on both sides. Hawaii island head to blocks and turn them into parking lots. Repost @kala_dacaptain A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies) on Jul 17, 2019 at 6:18pm PDT

Until TMT ceases operation, looks like Aquaman 2 will be (somewhat) dead in the water. Warner Brother executives have yet to comment on Momoa's announcement. Filming dates have not yet been announced.