Actress Amber Heard claims that Warner Bros. She downsized her role as Mera in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom due to her legal issues with Johnny Depp.
Actress Amber Heard claims that Warner Bros. pared down her role as Mera in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. Heard made his debut as Mira in Zack Snyder's Justice League, before moving on to a more prominent role in James Wan's solo film, Aquaman. Starring Jason Momoa as the titular character, as well as Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Willem Dafoe, and Nicole Kidman, Heard features prominently in Aquaman, almost as an assistant.
Shortly after her divorce from actor Johnny Depp, Heard wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post noting that Depp had abused her during their relationship, which led to several lawsuits from Depp, including a defamation lawsuit against The Sun, which he lost. Depp then sued Heard for defamation, which is currently in court. Heard received backlash for her op-ed, which later petitioned fans to have her removed from the Aquaman sequel. The actress was brought back for the film, although it now appears that she won't be anywhere near as prominent as it was the first time around.
While on the stage today, Heard testified (via CBS News) that Warner Bros. originally didn't want the actress back in the part. Heard says she "struggled so hard" to be in the film and that she had multiple scripts, with later versions taking in scenes with her character, including the action sequences. The actress' role in Aquaman 2 appears to have been "cut back," as Heard said on the podium:
"Lawyer: Did you participate in Aquaman 2?
heard: I have.
Lawyer: And he told us about it.
heard: I had to fight for - I struggled so hard to stay in the movie. They didn't want to see me in the movie.
Lawyer: Were you finally able to film in Aquaman 2?
I heard: A very shortened version of this role, yes.
Lawyer: What if something changes in the scenario?
heard: I received a script. And then I was given new versions of the script that cropped the scenes it had an impact on, which depicted my character and another character, without giving spoilers, two characters fighting with each other. They took a bunch out of my turn. They have removed a group."
Heard most recently appeared in Zack Snyder's Justice League when it was released on HBO Max last year, and appeared in additional scenes, not in the original theatrical version of the movie. While the fan petition to have her removed gained traction when her legal troubles began (she currently has 4.1 million signatures), producers of Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom stated that they would not react to fan pressure when it came to bringing Heard back for a sequel, saying they should "do what's appropriate." for the movie" even if they are aware of the controversy. As a result, Heard has been brought back, despite the online hype, and she has shared photos of her getting ready, as well as some photos of BTS while working on the sequel.
No matter how the defamation trial between Heard and Depp took place, both actors continued to face public scrutiny over their very public trial. Depp has already lost both the role of Fantastic Beasts to Grindelwald, as well as a sixth outing in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Now, the pendulum appears to be swinging in Heard's direction, as WB already has enough fires to put out with The Flash star Ezra Miller, as well as dealing with the new change with the Discovery incorporation, which is already shaking things up on TV and the theatrical roster. With Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom already delayed in 2023, anything can happen in terms of how much or how little Mira appears (or at all) in the final cut.