The upcoming Aquaman sequel has been plagued by a variety of different controversies over the years. Factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, James Gunn’s DC takeover and reboot, allegedly disastrous post-production, and reshoots have all cast a shadow over the film’s future. Another crucial issue in this list is regarding controversial actress Amber Heard’s role in Aquaman 2 as Mera, which director James Wan has now openly addressed. Let’s take a look at what he had to say and explore the rumors in detail.
James Wan opens up about Amber Heard’s role
During the infamous Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard defamation trial, the 37-year-old actress had claimed that the controversies affected her role in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. However, the director of the film, James Wan, believes otherwise.
According to James Wan, Amber Heard never really had a big part to play in Aquaman 2, even before the legal fiasco started. The upcoming DC sequel revolves around the relationship between the titular hero and his half-brother Orm, played by Patrick Wilson.
James Wan clears up Amber Heard rumors:
“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.#AquamanAndTheLostKingdom pic.twitter.com/oJyVUQYnRb
— mo (@mofromyt) September 13, 2023
In the original Aquaman film from 2018, Amber Heard’s Mera had a significant role to play as Arthur Curry’s love interest who guides him on his journey of self-discovery as Aquaman. Wan claims that Aquaman 2 is a bromance action-adventure movie.
Amber Heard’s remarks about Aquaman 2 role
During her defamation trial against ex-husband Johnny Depp, the actress testified that the studios did not want her anymore. She claimed her role in Aquaman 2 was pared down per studio demand due to her highly publicized breakup.
Amber Heard also revealed that the studio executives told her that her part was cut back due to her lack of chemistry with Jason Momoa. She even brought an entertainment industry consultant named Kathryn Arnold as an expert witness to support her case.
The witness stated that the studios removed Amber Heard from all promotional work, like DC’s FanDome event for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. She also claimed that James Wan and Jason Momoa had fought to keep Amber Heard’s role intact in the sequel.
I'll be watching "aquaman 2" only for amber heard. pic.twitter.com/wwxaNsFIUe
— best of amber heard (@artsaheard) September 13, 2023
The courtroom drama began when Johnny Depp filed a defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard for claiming to be a domestic abuse survivor. The case ended with Depp winning on all three counts of defamation while Heard won only one of her counterclaims.
James Wan addresses other rumors
Despite multiple reports emerging about the Aquaman sequel’s exhausting reshoots and post-production, the director has suggested the opposite. James Wan called it a ‘very nice shoot’ as he explained how reshoots are normal for such big films.
"Reshoots are never a negative thing. I find new things and I have new ideas. The Conjuring 2 was the perfect example of how I put the whole movie together, then 'bing!' a lightbulb went off in my head and I said, 'I know what I need to do.' Same here too."
-James Wan pic.twitter.com/5alZ3IrbsR
— Home of DCU (@homeofdcu) September 13, 2023
The Conjuring director clarified that actors have varying schedules, and it’s essential to break their schedules into sections in order to accommodate everyone. Therefore, it may have seemed like an elaborate group of different shoots.
James Wan also discussed the movie’s connection to the upcoming slate of James Gunn’s DC reboot. While he said there’s no link to Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, Aquaman 2 is also not likely to connect the dots with other future DC projects.
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