Amidst the storm of controversy surrounding Amber Heard’s involvement in the upcoming DC sequel, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” director James Wan has finally shed light on the actress’s claims about her reduced role in the film. With fans passionately petitioning for her removal from the project since her tumultuous defamation trial against Johnny Depp, the spotlight on Heard’s role as Mera has only grown brighter.
Amber Heard’s involvement in the sequel has been a point of contention due to the highly publicized defamation trial between her and her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. Despite the controversy, Warner Bros. has stood by her casting as Mera in “Aquaman 2.”
In May 2022, during the legal proceedings with Johnny Depp, Amber Heard asserted that Warner Bros. had initially been hesitant about her reprising the role of Mera and that her character’s role had been significantly reduced in the sequel. She even claimed that action scenes involving Mera had been omitted from the revised script.
James Wan, the director of “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” recently addressed these claims in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Wan emphasized that the central focus of the sequel was always intended to be the dynamic between Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry and Patrick Wilson’s Orm, rather than the romantic arc between Arthur and Mera.
Wan stated, “I always pitched this to everyone from the get-go. The first Aquaman was Arthur and Mera’s journey. The second movie was always going to be Arthur and Orm.” He went on to describe “Aquaman 2” as a “bromance action-adventure movie” rather than a “romance action-adventure” like its predecessor :
“So, the first was a romance action-adventure movie, the second one is a bromance action-adventure movie. We’ll leave it at that.”
In July 2023, Amber Heard acknowledged her upcoming return to the DC Universe, expressing her “honored” status as part of the franchise. However, earlier reports from August 2022, as revealed by The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzales, suggested that Heard’s screentime in “Aquaman 2” would amount to approximately “about 20 minutes.”
The debate surrounding Amber Heard’s involvement and her character’s diminished role in “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” continues to captivate fans and critics alike. As the film’s release date approaches, it remains to be seen how the audience will react to this change in the dynamic of the Aquaman series.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled to debut in cinemas on December 20th.
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