Was Mera's Aquaman 2 Role Cut? Director Responds To Amber Heard Claims
The following article includes mentions of domestic abuse allegations.
DC has had a rough year at the box office, and things aren't going to get any easier with "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." From reports of numerous reshoots (including different Batmen getting swapped out) to a lack of marketing up until now, it's hard to see a path for the sequel to gross over $1 billion like its predecessor. And that's even without getting into the Amber Heard of it all.
Many online have been vocal about wanting Heard's Mera cut from the film after her highly publicized trial with Johnny Depp. After she accused Depp of domestic abuse, he filed a defamation suit against her, and many believed Heard misrepresented certain details regarding the allegations. Seeing as Depp was recast as Grindelwald in the "Fantastic Beasts" movies, some wanted something similar to happen to Heard. While a recasting likely didn't occur, there's still the question of how much Mera will be in "Aquaman 2," and director James Wan is keeping things coy for the moment.
Wan told Entertainment Weekly how the sequel was always planned as not focusing too heavily on Mera, "I always pitched this to everyone from the get-go. The first Aquaman was Arthur and Mera's journey. The second movie was always going to be Arthur and Orm. So, the first was a romance action-adventure movie, the second one is a bromance action-adventure movie. We'll leave it at that." Whether that's true or damage control is up in the air, but it sounds like fans shouldn't expect a ton of Mera, if at all.
Amber Heard claimed a year ago her part was significantly reduced
As part of the trial, Johnny Depp not only alleged that Amber Heard's accusations against him were false, but he accused her of assaulting him, as published by People. Due to these allegations, Heard admitted during the trial that her career suffered. She testified how her role in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" was reduced as a result of bad press. She had already filmed her part of the movie at this time, but the sequel has undergone numerous reshoots since then, so there's a chance something could've happened between now and then.
Depp's team referring to the accusations as a "hoax" allegedly led to communication halting between Heard and Warner Bros. She claimed her part was "very pared down," going on to say, "I fought really hard to stay in the movie. They didn't want to include me in the film." She even added an example of seeing a script with her role shrunk down, "I was given a script and then given new versions of the script that had taken away scenes that had action in it, that depicted my character and another character — without giving any spoilers away — two characters fighting with one another, and they basically took a bunch out of my role. They just removed a bunch out."
Heard's statements make it sound as though Mera was supposed to at least have a decently-sized role in the new movie. However, Wan makes it sound as though Mera was never a focal point. It remains to be seen if Mera at least has a cameo in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" or only gets a passing mention to explain why she's gone. Audiences will have to wait and see when the movie comes out in theaters on December 20.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.