Is Amber Heard Still In Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom?

Credit: Aquaman

Is Amber Heard still in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?

That’s been the question on almost everyone’s mind since the shocking defamation trial between the actress and her ex-husband Johnny Depp. Now, the spokesperson for Heard shut down those rumors, noting, “The rumor mill continues as it has from day one – inaccurate, insensitive and slightly insane. That was several weeks following the Heard/Depp trial that took over the media during its time in April and May.

The topic of Amber Heard and Aquaman came up during the trial, where former Hollywood producer Kathryn Arnold took the stand as a witness for the actress. According to Arnold, the only reason Heard returned as Mera in the sequel was because both Jason Momoa and James Wan were adamant about keeping the 35-year-old in the film. Arnold described Heard’s turn as Mera in the first feature as a big coming-out moment for the actress; however, producers weren’t necessarily happy about the negative press she was receiving and were reportedly ready to cut ties with her until Momoa and Wan stepped in.

Credit: Aquaman

Despite cries from fans over their unhappiness with the actress following the defamation trial that didn’t showcase Heard in the best light, Warner Brothers seem to remain committed to keeping the actress in the sequel. The petition to get the Aquaman star cut from the DC film has over four million signatures, but according to ScreenRant, the company can’t simply fire Heard unless she’s charged with a crime. Despite the overwhelming evidence that supports Depp’s claim that Heard was abusive, there aren’t any charges pending for the Hollywood star. Reportedly, Heard is only in the feature for less than ten minutes. That news comes from Grace Randolph, a notable source when it comes to media and entertainment. However, the recent delays of Aquaman, the Lost Kingdom, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods has fans questioning whether Warner Brothers is using this as an opportunity to rid themselves of the actress from the film.

Warner Brothers are currently dealing with two problem actors, Ezra Miller. However, unlike Heard, Miller is the upcoming Flash film’s main protagonist, with a reported $200 million price tag attached to the feature. Despite the heinous allegations against The Flash actor, Warner Brothers are dead set on releasing the film in theaters as too much money is invested into the feature. However, the future of Ezra Miller and Warner Brothers remains murky, even though Miller is finally getting much-needed treatment. On the other hand, Heard is not the main character of Aquaman. If her being in the film for less than ten minutes is true, then it won’t be as painful to recast (or simply remove) the actress from the upcoming feature.

Credit: Aquaman

DC confirmed that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be delayed in their releases once again, with the sequel moving from March 17, 2023, to December 25, 2023. Shazam! Fury of the Gods will take over Aquaman 2‘s old release date. David F. Sandberg – director of Shazam! Fury of the Gods – already revealed that his sequel was moved because Avatar: The Way of Water was taking all the IMAX/PLF screens; however, the exact reasoning for Aquaman’s move has yet to be officially confirmed by the studio. Deadline did report that it comes down to post-production issues as the film needs more time to finish everything. There’s never any mention of Amber Heard being removed, or anything else of that nature, so for now, it does appear that the actress is still slated for the DC sequel.

The more interesting part is Jason Momoa and his possible relationship with Heard. Momoa was instrumental in keeping her in the franchise, but it’s notable that the Aquaman star favored Depp a bit throughout the defamation trial. However, Momoa took more of a diplomatic approach when both Depp and Heard released statements on social media following the final verdict by liking both posts. It was a confusing move, but given his ties to Heard, it makes sense why he opted to play in the middle. Recently, Momoa was interviewed on ET during the premiere of his Apple TV+ series, SEE, and the interviewer asked him, “Have you talked to Amber? How are things?” Momoa completely sidesteps the question to discuss Aquaman 2. It was an awkward (but funny) moment, but it’s also an attractive sign of where things stand between Heard and Momoa, as the latter was complimentary of the actress in the past.