A new report reveals Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom almost
didn't bring Amber Heard back amidst concerns of her chemistry with star Jason
Momoa. Heard made her DC Extended Universe debut with Justice League as Mera, a
princess from the underwater kingdom of Xebel who is first seen as guarding the
Mother Box located in Atlantis, only to have been defeated by Steppenwolf as he
escapes with the box. In the hopes of saving the world, Mera gives Arthur his
armor and trident and convinces him to help the Justice League to defeat
Steppenwolf.
Heard's Mera would return in Aquaman as the character's main love interest and foil as she teams up with Jason Momoa's titular hero to prevent the war brewing between his half-brother, Orm Marius, and the surface. Alongside Momoa and Heard, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see the returns of Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison and Randall Park. Though the Aquaman sequel was recently delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting work on the visual effects, it appears the film almost endured a bigger hurdle early in its development. As post-production continues for the DCEU sequel, a new report from Puck (via ComicBook.com) has revealed that Amber Heard almost wasn't brought back for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Sources report that Warner Bros. initially declined to pick up the actress' option to return over concerns of her chemistry with star Jason Momoa. Reports of these concerns hail from a deposition that will be included in her defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp, the deposition coming from DC Films President Walter Hamada. Interestingly, the new report also claims that though Heard was ultimately brought back for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the actress was not allowed to negotiate a pay increase for her role in the film. Her team states that this inability to request a raise stemmed from her involvement with Johnny Depp and their heated divorce proceedings. Heard also has reportedly been unable to book any other major roles or brand endorsement in recent months due to the scandal going on between her and her ex-husband.
While recasting superhero characters doesn't always go over well with audiences, Heard's inclusion in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has proven to be a divisive topic amongst fans since she was confirmed to return, with some electing to take her side in the scandal while others stood by Depp and his accusations of abuse levied against her. Additionally, many argued that if Warner Bros. was willing to recast Depp's role of Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore with that of Mads Mikkelsen, the same action should have been taken with Heard for the DCEU sequel with some even calling for a boycott of the film. Only time will tell if audiences turn out in the same way for the film as its predecessor amidst Heard's return when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on March 17, 2023.
Via: Screen Rant Written By : Grant Hermanns