‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ will feature Amber Heard
At the CinemaCon 2023 event, Amber Heard’s presence in the teaser for “Aquaman 2” generated quite a commotion in the entertainment industry. In the sequel, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” Jason Momoa and Amber Heard will play their previous roles as protagonists Arthur and Mera.
The studio confirmed Heard’s participation in the teaser to the press on Wednesday, even though it hasn’t yet been made available to the public.
According to Deadline, Heard’s Mera makes a cameo appearance in the trailer during a combat sequence. Years after Johnny Depp fans started a petition to have Heard cut from the sequel, the number of signatures has climbed to almost 4.6 million.
During their high-profile defamation suit in Virginia this spring, Depp and Heard swapped charges of domestic violence and abuse. This provided a big boost to the “domestic abuser” petition. More over $10 million went to Depp from the jury’s final tally, while Heard won $2 million. Heard was unable to use the weight of the facts to overcome her ex-husband’s immense influence and authority, and she was understandably devastated by the verdict.
During the trial, Heard testified that the media attention surrounding her court battles with Depp nearly cost her a job in “Aquaman.” Despite the Depp scandal, the then-president of Warner Bros. Pictures stated in a video deposition that Heard was almost recast owing to a lack of onscreen “chemistry” between her and Momoa.
It took a lot of work in post-production, according to former studio chief Walter Hamada, but the results were worth it. He also disproved Heard’s claim that her screen time in “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” was reduced because of the Depp controversy, saying that Mera was never meant to be the sequel’s lead character and that the chemistry between her and Momoa was minimal.
While both Heard and Depp got criticism and praise during the trial, the latter was more prevalent than the former. The December 20 release date for “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” directed by James Wan, has been announced.