Chinese fans excitedly welcomed Hollywood megastar Jason Momoa and renowned director James Wan as they arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to promote the sequel to the superhero blockbuster “Aquaman.”

Director James Wan (L) and actor Jason Momoa pose with fans at a press conference in Beijing, Dec. 6, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures]

The two walked the blue carpet, took selfies with fans, and signed autographs for nearly everyone in the packed hall, eliciting cheers and screams, before entering the venue for a press conference. Such scenes have been absent for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent Hollywood strike. Currently, only a few Hollywood megastars have plans to promote films in China as they did before the pandemic.

“We’re super excited to be back here,” Wan said. “We attribute a lot of the success of the first movie to our film kicking off here in China and the Chinese audience embracing it. So we’re super excited to be back here doing it with this one. Thank you!”

The first “Aquaman” grossed a staggering 2 billion yuan ($281.42 million) in China alone, marking a phenomenal success for a foreign film. The sequel is set to debut nationwide in China on Dec. 20, two days earlier than its North American release date.

“I can’t believe it was five years ago. It feels like it was just two years ago,” Momoa said, expressing his happiness to be back in China. “It’s wonderful, and I’m excited that we are back.”

In “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” Black Manta, driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, returns to defeat Aquaman. Armed with the powerful Black Trident, he poses a greater threat than ever before. To stop him, Aquaman seeks an unlikely alliance with his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis. Together, they must overcome their differences to save their kingdom, Aquaman’s family, and the world from irreversible destruction.

Judging by the 20-minute teaser footage shown by Warner Bros. Pictures to fans and media outlets on Wednesday night, the action scenes have been upgraded to showcase the wonders of the sea. There were also numerous humorous moments between Aquaman and his brother Orm, including a scene where Aquaman tricks Orm into eating a cockroach.

“I feel like James and I … we love laughing, and we really want to take the action to the next level. But there are also plenty of funny and fun moments in this film,” Momoa said. The inclusion of hilarious elements is indeed a rare treat in James Wan’s filmography, as he is primarily known for his horror genre mastery.

Director James Wan (L) and actor Jason Momoa pose for a photo at the Forbidden City in Beijing, Dec. 7, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures]

Things have changed significantly for Aquaman, with him assuming new roles and identities. In this outing, he is not only a superhero but also a king, a father, and a husband in the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Momoa revealed his excitement about these new dimensions, stating, “I want to play a dad, but at the same time, I want to portray the responsibility of running a country like Atlantis. We get to see the dynamic changes between these two aspects of his life. On the one hand, he deals with the politics and challenges of being a king, but we also get to see him at home, taking care of his child and handling everyday tasks like changing diapers. It was this combination of elements that made the experience really fun.”

Director Wan added that the new film is an extension of the first one, and viewers can watch the two films together to experience them as one cohesive story, which adds to the enjoyment. He noted that in this new film, they wanted to explore “new worlds that we haven’t seen before.” One of these new worlds is Antarctica, which due to its sub-zero temperatures, creates a new visual aesthetic for the team to work with, adding to the overall experience.

In the end, Momoa recommended “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” to the Chinese audience in his usual tongue-in-cheek style, stating, “It is a great film. You will cry, you will definitely laugh, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat. [Wan] has created beautiful worlds. And I’m amazing.”