Reports have been saying that Amber Heard's role as Mera was completely removed from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but she’s saying otherwise.
Heard has portrayed the role of Mera in multiple films like Justice League, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and the original Aquaman. Following her highly publicized court battle with ex-lover Johnny Depp, Heard and her role as Mera became a big topic, both online and in the courtroom. Some conversations have included fans calling for Warner Bros. to recast the role of Mera, and in the courtroom, there were talks about how Depp might've been the only reason Heard received the role in the first place.
Now that the trial has come to the end, with the jury not ruling in Heard's favor, the talk continues. Reports have said that Heard was completely removed from the film and her role would most likely be recast for the future Aquaman films. However, Heard is shutting down this rumor, as a spokesperson on her behalf told Variety, “The rumor mill continues as it has from day one — inaccurate, insensitive, and slightly insane.”
During the Depp vs. Heard defamation trial, Heard claimed that her role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was reduced heavily by Warner Bros. Studios and that she had to “fight really hard to stay in the movie.” She went on to add, "they didn’t want to include me in the film.” Heard also claimed that they removed all of her action scenes.
DC Films chief Walter Hamada took the stand to say that Heard's claims weren’t true and that her role in the film wasn’t reduced due to her legal battle. Hamada revealed that Heard's role was sidelined due to the studio's choice to not focus on a romance storyline in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and he went on to add that the studio did have thoughts about recasting Heard, but again it wasn’t due to Heard's legal struggles. Hamada said it was due to Heard's lack of chemistry with Aquaman star Jason Momoa.
As Heard continues to speak out about the rumors swirling about her, more becomes clear to Aquaman fans. However, considering her claims and ongoing conflict with Warner Bros.', there are chances that Heard's role as Mera won’t be included in the third film of the Aquaman trilogy.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on March 17th, 2023.
Source: Variety