Amber Heard is one of the most controversial and divisive elements of Aquaman 2. This is everything you need to know about this situation.
Many fans are wondering what will happen to Amber Heard in Aquaman 2. The first trailer for the second installment of the underwater adventures of the King of Atlantis barely showed Mera. She is the main love interest of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa). This has probably created some confusion about why she doesn’t appear more prominently and what her role might be in the next DC Extended Universe film. However, there were likely a number of behind-the-scenes factors that could have led to Warner Bros. Pictures not wanting to use the actress during promotion.
Aquaman 2 director James Wan recently spoke about Amber Heard and her reduced role in the new film. According to the filmmaker himself, the sequel always wanted to focus more on Arthur Curry and Orm joining forces as estranged brothers and former rivals than on the couple teaming up like they did in the first film. Having imagined the first installment as “a romantic action-adventure movie” for Arthur and Mera, the sequel will instead be a “bromance” in which Arthur and Orm will try to reconcile their differences to save the Seven Kingdoms.
Why will Mera have so little relevance in the sequel?
Warner Bros. Pictures
Apparently, little space has been left for the character of Amber Heard Take part in the new mission to stop Black Manta. Although it has been confirmed that she will have some kind of role, no matter how minimal. Judging by the only image from the Aquaman 2 trailer, it seems that his life is in danger because of Black Manta and his revenge against Arthur Curry. So, perhaps it’s Mera who dies instead of Tom Curry or Arthur Jr. as a way to subvert expectations of the upcoming DC Studios film.
Mera’s (Amber Heard) deviation probably comes from a desire to focus more on the villain of Aquaman beyond Aquaman’s uneasy alliance with Orm. It certainly looks like Black Manta in particular will get a lot more prominence after many believed he didn’t get enough screen time or attention in the first one. Thanks to the new Black Trident, Black Manta has become much more powerful than in the first film. And he seems more than capable of killing his nemesis and everything he loves. That could include Mera. That said, the actress said something that doesn’t fit with this.
The influence of the trial against Johnny Depp on the film
During her court battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp over allegations of abuse and defamation, Amber Heard Claimed Her Role as Mera in Aquaman 2 Was Significantly Reduced by Warner Bros. in Response. Despite the aforementioned comments from James Wan to the contrary and the testimony of DC Films president Walter Hamada, citing a lack of chemistry with Jason Momoa, the actress believed that her role was a “very reduced version” of what she was originally.
According to her, There were multiple action scenes that were cut from Aquaman 2. Amber Heard hinted that this was the result of her ongoing court battle and accusations made by both her and Johnny Depp about the other’s alleged misconduct during her relationship. By all accounts, it doesn’t seem like the trial had much to do with Mera’s lesser role. Not only do we have to take into account the comments of James Wan and Walter Hamada, but also that filming ended in January 2022, three months before the start of the trial.