The status of Amber Heard's Atlantean heroine Mera in DC's Aquaman 2 seems up in the air, with doubt as to her level of involvement in the sequel. Heard debuted the Mera character on the big screen via a short scene in Joss Whedon's 2017 theatrical cut of Justice League, before returning with a slightly different look in 2018's first Aquaman solo film. Her work in Aquaman was received decently well, with many feeling she worked alongside lead star Jason Momoa admirably.
In the years since, and especially in recent months, Heard has become more well-known for her complex personal life than her exploits as an actress. Currently, Heard is embroiled in a very public trial in which she's attempting to defend herself against accusations of defamation by ex-husband and fellow Hollywood star Johnny Depp. Heard and Depp have both levied serious accusations of abuse and misconduct at each other. For now, it looks like it'll be a while yet before the case reaches a resolution.
One topic no one really expected to come up during the Depp vs. Heard trial was Mera's role in Aquaman 2, or it seems possibly lack thereof. Warner Bros. has yet to officially speak on the matter of Heard's appearance in Aquaman 2, so for now nothing is entirely certain. Still, here's what appears to be the case, at least according to both Heard and reports circulating the pop culture landscape.
Amber Heard's Aquaman 2 Return Was Previously Confirmed
While Warner Bros. and DC have yet to speak on the current controversies surrounding Amber Heard, they did previously confirm more than once that the actress would be back to play Mera in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. This is despite the fact that rumors have occasionally swirled around online suggesting that she wouldn't be coming back. Heard has since shared images and videos of herself as Mera from Aquaman 2's set, offering audiences a look at her character's return.
The Petition To Remove Amber Heard From Aquaman 2 Explained
In November 2020, a petition was created demanding that Warner Bros. fire Amber Heard from Aquaman 2, which in the years since has amassed over 4 million signatures. The petition was created not long after Warner Bros. opted to ask Johnny Depp to vacate the role of Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, after he had played Grindelwald in previous Fantastic Beasts films. The logic behind the petition was that since both Heard and Depp had accused the other of domestic abuse, both performers should suffer the same consequences and lose out on a high-profile franchise movie role. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom producer Peter Saffron would later say publicly that this petition and other efforts to get Heard removed from the sequel had no effect on the decision to bring her back.
Amber Heard Was Reportedly Almost Cut From Aquaman 2 Due To Chemistry Concerns
Ahead of the commencement of Heard and Depp's defamation trial, a deposition surfaced that revealed something interesting about Heard's return as Mera for Aquaman 2. Even aside from the Heard and Depp controversies, Warner Bros. apparently almost cut Heard from the sequel due to concerns that she didn't have adequate onscreen chemistry with Aquaman co-star Jason Momoa. While many Aquaman fans would disagree with that assessment, it's still interesting to learn that the studio had worries about Heard's return that didn't at all relate to her personal life. The same report also said that Heard was unusually not allowed to negotiate a pay increase for her second go-around as Mera, a fairly standard practice when signing on for a sequel to a massive box office hit.
Heard Says WB Wanted To Cut Mera From Aquaman 2 (& Scaled Her Role Back)
The first information on Mera's role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to be shared by Amber Heard herself came during recent testimony in the civil trial involving her and Johnny Depp. Heard revealed that Warner Bros. came close to cutting Heard out of the Aquaman sequel entirely, and that she had to fight hard to remain part of the cast. Heard also said that script rewrites removed more and more of her originally planned scenes as Mera, specifically citing the removal of action and fight sequences. Heard says that what she filmed for Aquaman 2 was a massively pared down version of Mera's role in the first script.
Heard Is Unsure If She's Still In Aquaman 2, Has Been Released From Contract
In later testimony given during the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial, Heard further revealed that while she had shot the aforementioned pared down Mera role for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, she wasn't actually sure if she would make the final cut. Considering Aquaman 2's delay until 2023, it will likely be a while before the final cut is locked. Heard discussed the structure of her contract with Warner Bros. and DC, offering the general public a rare direct glimpse into such things from one of the parties involved. While doing this, Heard confirmed that she had been released from her contract with the studio ahead of Aquaman 2's production.
However, it's important to recognize that Heard's Warner Bros. contract ending is not necessarily tied to her public disputes with ex-husband Depp. Heard confirmed on the witness stand that her initial contract covered three film appearances as Mera, those being Justice League (as well as a British-accented take in Zack Snyder's version), Aquaman, and Aquaman 2. That means that even if Heard had to fight to stay in Aquaman 2, her DCEU contract was ultimately fulfilled by her work on the sequel. What may well be related to Heard's personal controversies though is Warner Bros.' decision to not sign her to a new contract for further DC appearances after Aquaman 2, which they certainly could've attempted to do. It remains to be seen where Heard's apparent departure from the DCEU will leave the character of Mera, who it would seem was being set-up for a larger and larger presence in the Aquaman series as the Queen of Atlantis. While the role could be recast with a new actress, doing so would likely lead to backlash from those who support Heard, so perhaps inventing a new love interest for Arthur Curry would be the better move.
