Becoming a celebrity is a tricky thing. Because fame can result in notoriety and a major payday, things like personal relationships also become public events. Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard know this all too well, as their divorce proceedings and legal battle have been making headlines as the two actors throw abuse allegations at each other. Depp was recently fired from his gig as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, and now there's a petition gaining momentum or Heard to also be removed from DC's Aquaman.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have been battling in court for months, most recently with Depp suing The Sun after the publication referred to him as a "wife beater." The judge ultimately sided with The Sun, resulting in Warner Bros. asking the actor to step away from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts movies. And now nearly 1 million moviegoers have signed a petition for Heard to be fired from her role in the Aquaman franchise.
The petition in question is on Change.Org, titled "Remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2." At the time of writing, the online campaign has been signed by a whopping 903K people and counting. The organizers maintain that Heard should have a similar fate to Depp in regards to his firing from Fantastic Beasts. Warner Bros. is in control of both the Wizarding World and DC Extended Universe, so it's ultimately the same studio heads that can make this decision.
The online calls for Amber Heard's firing are largely based on the various allegations that have been thrown her way over the years. While she's testified in court about Johnny Depp's reportedly abusive behavior, her ex-husband presented his own slew of wild stories during his libel suit with The Sun. And it's for that reason that the nearly 1 million participants in the petition have been making their voices known.
Given the timing of Johnny Depp's departure from Fantastic Beasts 3, it's clear that Warner Bros.' decision to part ways with the actor was influenced by the results of his loss in court. The legal system in the U.K. ruled on the side of The Sun, which was seemingly a victory for Amber Heard. Of course, the two actors' will have their own legal battle to continue in the states.
There's currently no indication that Warner Bros. plans on releasing Amber Heard from her contract playing Mera in the Aquaman franchise. In fact, it was announced that the 34 year-old actress was actually participating in reshoots for Zack Snyder's Justice League. But if Johnny Depp's case against Heard is won, it should be interesting to see if the studio pulls a similar move regarding Heard's role in the DCEU.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently set to arrive in theaters on July 15th, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
