How to Watch Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on Netflix in the US with a VPN (2026)

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) is currently listed on Netflix in Ireland. Directed by James Wan, the DC superhero sequel stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, Patrick Wilson as Orm, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. The film follows Aquaman as he joins forces with his estranged brother to protect Atlantis from a powerful ancient threat. The official Netflix Ireland page for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom confirms the movie’s listing, including English original audio, English subtitles, and offline downloads for eligible subscribers.

However, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is not currently available on Netflix in the United States. American viewers can instead stream the movie through HBO Max and several other services. Ireland has a different Netflix catalog, and Private Internet Access (PIA), ExpressVPN, and NordVPN all offer Irish VPN connections. PIA lists an Ireland server location, ExpressVPN provides Dublin connections, and NordVPN advertises more than 50 Irish servers based in Dublin.

Connecting to an Irish VPN server does not guarantee that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will appear or play on Netflix. The service may detect VPN traffic and restrict viewers to titles with worldwide streaming rights. According to Netflix’s official VPN support policy, users may need to disconnect their VPN to see movies available in their region. Individual VPN providers may also prohibit circumventing geographic restrictions, so checking their terms is important before attempting international streaming.

How to watch Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on Netflix with a VPN

Netflix Ireland currently has an official listing for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, while Netflix US does not offer it. The following steps explain how to establish an Irish VPN connection and check the movie’s availability, provided your intended activity complies with Netflix’s policies and your VPN provider’s terms.

1. Choose a VPN service. Consider Private Internet Access first, ExpressVPN second, and NordVPN third, based on their documented Irish connections and features.
2. Download and install the VPN application on your Windows PC, Mac, smartphone, or another supported device.
3. Open the VPN application and connect to Ireland using an officially available Irish server location.
4. Fully close Netflix, including any open browser tabs or background application sessions.
5. Reopen Netflix after establishing the VPN connection so the service can refresh its connection information.
6. Sign in using your existing Netflix account and select your preferred viewing profile.
7. Search for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom using the Netflix search feature or visit its official Irish title page.
8. If the movie appears and Netflix permits playback under the applicable terms, select Play to begin watching.

Using an Irish VPN server changes the public IP address that Netflix sees, but it does not automatically change your account’s billing country or guarantee access to the Irish catalog.

Netflix may identify the connection as VPN traffic even when the server provides an Irish IP address. In that situation, the service can restrict regionally licensed movies or display only titles available worldwide.

You can check the film directly through the official Netflix Ireland listing for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The page identifies the 2023 sequel and provides its description, cast, audio language, subtitle information, and download availability.

The Irish Netflix listing confirms English original audio and English audio description, along with English subtitles. This makes the listing relevant to American viewers who have legitimate access to Netflix Ireland and prefer watching movies in English.

The movie uses its original English title in Ireland. You can search for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, or try Aquaman 2 if you need to distinguish the sequel from the original 2018 movie. Netflix search results may vary depending on your profile and recognized location.

Keep in mind that public Netflix listings and actual playback availability are not always identical. A movie can have a country-specific title page while Netflix restricts access within a particular account or VPN session.

Best VPNs for watching Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on Netflix

All three recommended VPN providers officially support Ireland. Their main differences involve server selection, protocols, automatic connection features, and network capacity.

VPN	Server locations in Ireland	Option to try first
Private Internet Access (Editor’s Choice)	Ireland; one officially listed country-level location	Ireland using WireGuard for general connections and permitted streaming
ExpressVPN	Dublin, Ireland	Ireland / Dublin using automatic protocol selection
NordVPN	Dublin, Ireland; more than 50 Irish servers	Automatic Ireland connection or an available Dublin server

PIA does not currently list a separate Ireland Streaming Optimized location. Its official directory identifies Ireland as a standard server option. ExpressVPN identifies Dublin as its Irish server location, while NordVPN publishes a server count exceeding 50 for Ireland.

VPN server availability does not guarantee Netflix compatibility. The service can detect VPN connections, and providers may restrict the use of their networks to access content outside its licensed region.

1. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is our Editor’s Choice because it combines a documented Irish server location with configurable protocols, straightforward application controls, and transparent server-location information. While its Irish network offers fewer named alternatives than some competitors, it gives users the tools needed to manage a secure connection and diagnose network problems.

According to PIA’s official server directory, Ireland appears as an available server location.

Unlike countries such as Canada or the United Kingdom, where PIA lists multiple individual locations, Ireland appears as a single country-level entry. The directory does not separately identify Dublin, Cork, Galway, or other Irish cities.

It also does not identify a dedicated Ireland Streaming Optimized connection. Users should therefore select the standard Ireland entry rather than assume that an Irish streaming-optimized option exists.

To establish a connection, open the PIA application and click or tap the VPN SERVER section. Search for Ireland, select the available country entry, and activate the VPN using the main connection control.

PIA’s application displays information about connection latency. Lower latency usually indicates a more responsive route, although it does not necessarily guarantee higher download speeds.

The provider supports WireGuard and OpenVPN. WireGuard uses a lightweight protocol design that generally provides efficient encrypted connections with relatively little overhead. It is a sensible first choice for general browsing, downloads, and permitted streaming.

OpenVPN offers additional configuration flexibility. Depending on the platform, users can select UDP or TCP transport and adjust encryption settings.

UDP typically prioritizes speed and responsiveness, while TCP can improve stability when a network interferes with UDP traffic. Users experiencing repeated disconnections can try OpenVPN TCP to check whether the problem involves protocol compatibility.

PIA explains these options in its official advanced desktop settings documentation.

The application also includes connection information, network settings, DNS controls, and an IP address widget. These features can help users verify that their VPN connection is active and identify ordinary network problems.

Another important consideration is whether a server location represents a physical or virtual destination. A virtual VPN location provides an IP address associated with one country while operating the underlying hardware in another.

PIA publishes official virtual server documentation identifying countries where its physical servers operate outside the advertised location.

Ireland does not appear in that virtual-location list. In fact, PIA identifies Dublin as the physical hosting location for its virtual Isle of Man server. This supports the presence of PIA infrastructure in Ireland, although the documentation does not identify the exact data center hosting the standard Ireland connection.

For performance troubleshooting, users can compare internet speeds before and after activating the VPN. Slowdowns can result from server congestion, international routing, Wi-Fi interference, or the user’s internet service provider.

PIA recommends clearing browser cookies and cached information, disconnecting and reconnecting, and keeping the application updated when streaming services experience connection problems.

Because the Irish directory lists only one country-level option, changing protocols or restarting the connection provides more practical troubleshooting choices than searching for additional undocumented Irish cities.

PIA’s official streaming guidance also includes an important restriction. The provider tells users to connect to a VPN server matching their physical country and explicitly prohibits circumventing geographic restrictions imposed by content providers.

Consequently, PIA’s Irish connection supports legitimate privacy protection and permitted streaming activity, but it does not authorize or guarantee access to the Irish Netflix catalog from the United States.

2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN takes second place because of its straightforward Irish server selection, modern VPN protocols, and documented physical hosting arrangements. Its application emphasizes simple connection controls, making it convenient for users who do not want to configure technical settings manually.

According to ExpressVPN’s official Ireland server page, the provider offers connections through Dublin.

Dublin is the only Irish city explicitly identified in the current country-specific documentation. ExpressVPN’s global directory lists Ireland as an available destination but does not identify several separate Irish city entries.

For a normal Irish connection, Dublin is therefore the appropriate choice. Users should not assume that ExpressVPN also offers dedicated Cork, Galway, or Limerick locations.

To connect, open the ExpressVPN application, expand the location menu, and search for Ireland. Select the Irish destination and activate the connection.

ExpressVPN also offers Smart Location, which selects a server automatically based on factors such as latency, connection speed, and distance. However, Smart Location may choose another country, so users who specifically require an Irish IP address should select Ireland manually.

The provider’s official global server directory confirms that its Ireland connection supports Lightway UDP, Lightway TCP, WireGuard, OpenVPN UDP, OpenVPN TCP, and IKEv2 on compatible devices.

Lightway is ExpressVPN’s proprietary VPN protocol. It focuses on efficient connection establishment and maintaining performance when network conditions change.

WireGuard provides another modern, lightweight protocol option. OpenVPN offers compatibility with a broad range of operating systems and networks, while IKEv2 provides an additional connection method on supported platforms.

ExpressVPN’s documentation notes that WireGuard availability currently varies by operating system. Its server directory identifies WireGuard support in the Windows, Android, and iOS applications, so users should check the options available on their specific device.

Most customers can begin with the application’s automatic protocol selection. This lets ExpressVPN choose a suitable connection method rather than requiring manual experimentation.

ExpressVPN also documents higher-capacity infrastructure in Dublin. Its Ireland page identifies 40Gbps servers, which provide substantial server-side network capacity.

That figure does not represent the connection speed every customer will receive. Your internet plan, distance from Ireland, local network conditions, and device performance can still limit actual throughput.

Physical hosting is another relevant consideration. ExpressVPN publishes a list of its virtual server locations, explaining that these locations assign IP addresses for one country while hosting their infrastructure elsewhere.

Ireland does not appear in the published virtual-location list. ExpressVPN states that locations absent from this list use physical servers within their designated countries, supporting the conclusion that its Irish connection operates on hardware in Ireland.

If the VPN experiences ordinary connection problems, restart the application, check whether websites load normally, or change the connection protocol. Testing a different browser can also help identify browser-specific issues.

ExpressVPN’s official Netflix troubleshooting guide recommends force-closing Netflix after changing VPN connections, signing out and back in, testing the browser version, and contacting support when needed.

However, the same documentation explicitly instructs customers to connect to a server matching their physical country. ExpressVPN prohibits using its service to circumvent geographic restrictions imposed by content providers.

ExpressVPN therefore provides a documented Dublin connection for legitimate privacy and network security needs, but users should not interpret its Irish server availability as guaranteed or authorized access to Netflix Ireland from the US.

3. NordVPN

NordVPN is the third recommendation and stands out for its larger Irish server network, automatic connection selection, NordLynx protocol, and integrated SmartPlay technology.

According to NordVPN’s official Ireland server page, the provider offers more than 50 Irish VPN servers.

The same page identifies Dublin as its available Irish city. Its global server directory also lists Ireland with one city location, so users should not assume the service operates separate Cork or Galway server groups.

To connect automatically, open the NordVPN application and select Ireland from the country list or map. NordVPN then chooses a suitable server using its connection-selection algorithm.

Users who want greater control can select an available server manually through the application’s server options. This can help identify differences in latency or stability among the Irish endpoints.

For a normal connection, automatic Ireland selection is a sensible starting point. If a specific endpoint experiences congestion, disconnecting and reconnecting may allow the application to choose another available Irish server.

NordVPN’s network uses NordLynx, a protocol based on WireGuard technology. NordLynx aims to combine efficient encrypted connections with reliable performance, making it suitable for bandwidth-intensive activities.

Another major feature is SmartPlay. According to NordVPN’s official SmartPlay documentation, the technology combines VPN functionality with features related to SmartDNS.

SmartPlay activates automatically when users establish a connection through a NordVPN application. There is no separate activation process, additional extension, or manual DNS configuration.

Unlike standalone SmartDNS, SmartPlay operates alongside the VPN’s encryption and IP address protection. This helps users access permitted streaming content while maintaining a secure connection.

However, SmartPlay does not guarantee access to every Netflix catalog. Netflix can still identify VPN traffic and restrict regional movies, regardless of the provider’s DNS configuration.

NordVPN also offers specialty server categories, including Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, and obfuscated connections. These serve particular privacy or network-security requirements rather than guaranteeing compatibility with streaming platforms.

Additional routing can increase latency and reduce throughput. For ordinary streaming performance, a standard Irish connection using NordLynx is generally more appropriate than an unnecessarily complex specialty configuration.

NordVPN’s Ireland page identifies Dublin as the server city but does not provide the physical hosting address for each endpoint. Its global server directory distinguishes physical and virtual server categories, so users should consult the latest application and directory information rather than assume the precise hardware location.

If an Irish connection is slow, try reconnecting, choosing another available server, or checking whether NordLynx is active. Comparing performance with the VPN disconnected can also help determine whether the slowdown originates from the VPN or the underlying internet connection.

NordVPN’s documentation emphasizes that SmartPlay supports secure streaming and should not be used in violation of copyright rules. Its Irish server count, NordLynx protocol, and SmartPlay technology do not guarantee that Netflix will permit international playback of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

What to do if Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom does not appear

Even though Netflix Ireland currently has an official listing for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the movie may remain missing from a particular Netflix session. Stored browser information, connection problems, profile settings, licensing restrictions, and VPN detection can all affect the catalog.

The following troubleshooting steps can help identify ordinary network and Netflix session problems.

1. Close Netflix completely, including any open browser tabs or background application processes.
2. Disconnect from your current VPN connection through the provider’s application.
3. Reconnect to the selected Irish location if your intended activity complies with the applicable service terms.
4. Try another available Irish server or endpoint if the original connection has network problems.
5. Clear Netflix cookies and your browser cache to remove outdated session information.
6. Open a private or incognito browser window to test Netflix without existing cookies or browser extensions.
7. Reopen Netflix and sign in using your existing account credentials.
8. Search for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom again and check whether the movie appears.

PIA users can reconnect to the standard Ireland location and compare WireGuard with OpenVPN when diagnosing connection stability. The provider does not currently list multiple named Irish cities or a dedicated Irish streaming-optimized connection.

ExpressVPN users can reconnect to Dublin, change the protocol if necessary, or let the application handle protocol selection automatically. The official directory does not identify additional Irish city choices.

NordVPN users can select another available Dublin server or allow automatic Ireland selection to choose a suitable endpoint.

These actions may resolve ordinary network problems, but they cannot guarantee access to Netflix titles restricted by regional licensing.

The movie uses the same English title on Netflix Ireland and international listings. Searching for Aquaman 2 may help distinguish the sequel from the original Aquaman movie released in 2018, although search results depend on Netflix’s catalog and indexing.

Netflix’s official guidance for missing movies and television shows explains that titles may disappear because of regional licensing, VPN recognition, profile maturity settings, and language preferences.

If other Netflix movies play normally while Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom remains unavailable, the issue may concern Netflix’s streaming rights or VPN recognition rather than a faulty internet connection.

Remember that PIA and ExpressVPN explicitly restrict using their services to circumvent geographic restrictions. Follow their terms and consider authorized American streaming alternatives if Netflix does not permit access.

Netflix may detect the VPN

A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a remote server. Websites and streaming platforms generally see the VPN server’s public IP address instead of your original residential IP address.

For example, connecting to a server in Ireland may cause an IP lookup service to identify your connection as Irish. However, Netflix does not necessarily grant unrestricted access to the Irish catalog based on that address alone.

Netflix licenses movies and television shows for individual geographical markets. A movie available on Netflix Ireland may be absent from Netflix US because another platform holds the American subscription streaming rights.

Netflix can also identify VPN or proxy traffic and restrict the available catalog.

According to its official VPN policy, viewers using a VPN may see only movies and television shows for which Netflix holds worldwide streaming rights.

Consequently, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might appear on the public Netflix Ireland website while remaining unavailable within a particular account or VPN session.

Users may encounter missing search results, playback errors, or a message requesting that they turn off their VPN.

Netflix recommends disconnecting the VPN when these issues persist. No VPN provider can guarantee that Netflix will recognize an Irish server IP address as eligible for every regionally licensed title.

Can you use a Netflix ad-supported plan with a VPN?

No. Netflix officially states that its ad-supported experience does not support VPN connections.

If you subscribe to a Netflix plan with advertisements and attempt to watch content while a VPN is active, you may encounter playback errors or a warning asking you to disconnect the VPN.

Netflix recommends turning off the VPN to restore normal access to the content available through your subscription.

This limitation applies regardless of whether Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom appears in another country’s Netflix catalog.

An ad-free Netflix subscription avoids that specific restriction on ad-supported VPN viewing. However, Netflix can still recognize a VPN and limit access to regionally licensed movies.

For the current policy, consult Netflix’s official VPN viewing guidance.

Does changing the VPN location change your Netflix account?

No. Connecting to a VPN server in another country changes the public IP address that websites see. It does not automatically modify your Netflix account credentials, registered country, password, profiles, or billing information.

Your existing Netflix subscription remains associated with your account even when your internet connection appears to originate from Ireland.

Netflix catalogs differ because studios and distributors negotiate streaming rights separately for different territories. Changing the visible public IP address may affect how websites interpret your connection, but Netflix can recognize VPN traffic and enforce its licensing restrictions.

Netflix also explains that users cannot simply change their registered account country through their settings. Its account country documentation outlines how account country changes work when subscribers move to another country.

If you live in the United States and want to watch Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom without relying on international Netflix availability, HBO Max currently provides a subscription streaming option.

You can also check the current US streaming availability for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. JustWatch lists HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, TNT, TBS, and truTV, alongside digital rental and purchase options.

These authorized American services provide a more predictable way to watch the movie without depending on another country’s Netflix catalog.

Which VPN should you use?

Private Internet Access is our Editor’s Choice because it provides a documented Ireland server connection, configurable WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, and detailed network settings. Its published virtual-server documentation does not identify Ireland as a virtual location, and its application includes practical tools for checking connection latency and IP addresses. However, PIA does not list a dedicated Irish streaming-optimized server and explicitly prohibits circumventing geographic restrictions, so this recommendation does not authorize or guarantee Netflix Ireland access from the United States.

ExpressVPN takes second place with its documented Dublin connection, support for Lightway, WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 on compatible devices, and physically hosted Irish infrastructure according to its virtual-location policy. Its terms also prohibit geographic circumvention. NordVPN ranks third with more than 50 Irish servers in Dublin, automatic server selection, NordLynx, and automatically enabled SmartPlay. Neither provider guarantees access to regional Netflix titles.

As of October 12, 2026, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is listed on Netflix Ireland but not Netflix US. The official Irish title page confirms English original audio, English subtitles, and offline downloads for eligible subscribers. Nevertheless, Netflix’s licensing agreements, VPN detection systems, and individual VPN provider terms determine whether international playback is permitted. If Netflix does not provide access through your account, HBO Max and authorized US rental services offer alternative ways to watch the movie.