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The DC Extended Universe has a few projects filming right now, including James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Moviegoers are eager to dive back into that underwater property, although there’s been some drama surrounding Mera actress Amber Heard. And now one Aquaman 2 producer responded to the petition for Heard’s removal from the role.
For the past few years, Amber Heard has been making headlines for her ongoing legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp. And after Depp was removed from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, some moviegoers organized a petition for Heard to get the same treatment by WB. Now Aquaman producer Peter Safran recently responded to those Mera rumors, saying:
I don’t think we’re ever going to react to, honestly, pure fan pressure. You gotta do what’s best for the movie. We felt that if it’s James Wan, and Jason Momoa, it should be Amber Heard. That’s really what it was. One is not unaware of what is going on in the Twitter-verse, but that doesn’t mean you have to react to it or take it as gospel or accede to their wishes. You have to do what’s right for the film, and that’s really where we landed on it.
And just like that, any lingering questions about whether or not Amber Heard will star in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom seems to be gone. The sequel will once again feature James Wan behind the camera, and will star the same cast he assembled-- plus a few newcomers. But don’t expect Heard to go anywhere.
Peter Safran’s comments to the Deadline Hero Nation podcast should presumably help quiet the chatter surrounding Amber Heard’s role in Aquaman 2. Because while fan art has been arriving online featuring Emilia Clarke replacing her as Mera, it seems Heard is here to stay. Even if she won’t have her fancy Snyder Cut accent.
DC fans can re-watch Amber Heard’s time in the DCEU so far on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
The chatter about Amber Heard’s role in Aquaman 2 came after Johnny Depp was asked to step down from his role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3. An online petition was started for Heard to be similarly fired, featuring more than a million signatures. But Heard's team have continued to maintain that she’s sticking around as Mera, with the actress recently participating in reshoots for the Snyder Cut’s Knightmare sequence.
With filming now underway for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, it should be interesting to see how various rumors and fan theories ultimately play out. Moviegoers are eager for any information about the mysterious sequel, especially with James Wan back behind the camera. Although one thing is clear: Amber Heard will indeed be starring as Mera.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is currently expected to arrive in theaters on December 16th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
