Aquaman 2 director responds after Amber Heard claimed Warner Bros 'paired down' her role

Words by Dan Lipscombe

As many wait with bated breath for the release of the trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the director has tackled rumours regarding the appearance of Amber Heard.

For months, film and comic book fans alike have speculated on rumours that Warner Bros. didn’t want Amber Heard to appear in the Aquaman sequel. You may recall the stormy defamation court case between Amber Heard and her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, which kept social media abuzz during its many twists and turns.

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After the case came to an end, many wondered if Heard’s role as Mera would be cut, stripped back, or recast. The filming was already turbulent after having to film through the pandemic, three rounds of reshoots, and the construction of James Gunn’s DCU. The latter of which brought the fate of Aquaman into doubt as Momoa may be cast as a new character going forward.

Heard publicly claimed that Warner Bros “didn’t want to include me” due to the divorce and court case fallout. She went on to say that her role as Mera, Aquaman’s romantic partner, was trimmed down and some of her scenes ended up on the cutting room floor.

Despite this, James Wan has stated to Entertainment Weekly that Mera was never the focus of the film. The sequel is said to examine the relationship between Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and his brother, Orm, played by Patrick Wilson. “I always pitched this,” says Wan, of the film’s content.

“The first Aquaman was Arthur and Mera’s journey,” says Wan, hoping to bring the rumour mill to a grinding halt before expanding, “The first was a romance action-adventure… the second is a bromance action-adventure”.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is due to be released in cinemas on 20 December.