While Warner Bros. Discovery continues to work through its plans for the DC Universe, there are still a couple of major upcoming releases to prep for, including Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. But unfortunately, that movie has its own problems to deal with, namely due to the legal troubles centered around star Amber Heard.
In June 2022, Heard lost her civil case against her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, leading many to call for her removal from next year's Aquaman sequel. Warner Bros. had reportedly already considered replacing her as Mera due to chemistry issues with lead actor Jason Momoa, and other reports detailed how her screentime had been cut significantly in this movie.
The Direct exclusively reported that Mera would be pregnant for most of the movie, which was later confirmed during the trial, lessening her screentime from the first Aquaman. Now, more details have emerged on how much Mera will actually be involved with Aquaman 2 as Warner Bros. tries to revamp its superhero movie universe.
Mera's Role Revealed in Aquaman 2?
During a recent Twitter Spaces conversation between Fandango's Erik Davis and The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez, the two discussed Amber Heard's role in Warner Bros. Discovery's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Davis noted that the movie is completely finished and reports are teasing how Warner Bros. Discovery has made it an "awesome" film. Gonzalez added more details about Heard, mentioning that she's still included in the film but that she's barely in it, as her screentime only totals up to "about 20 minutes:"
Davis: "Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom, I've heard is done too... And whatever Amber Heard is in it, that's what you're getting. I don't know if you know more about that, if they're trying to kind of make some moves there, but from what I heard, that film's done and I heard it's awesome too."
Gonzalez: "Yeah it is. She's still a part of it. They're not just going to like, erase her outright, either. She's barely in the movie. She's in it for like, according to one of my sources, she's in it for about 20 minutes or so. I don't know if that remains or if it gets more or if it's lessened... Anything could happen between now and the time that movie is released, so yeah."
Amber Heard Still Part of Aquaman 2
Amber Heard's place in Aquaman 2 has been a major question ever since the verdict was settled in her civil case against Johnny Depp. Multiple reports offered varying perspectives on her potential screentime, some saying that nothing had changed, while others indicated that Warner Bros. was cutting her out of the sequel entirely.
Looking at these quotes, fans should expect Heard's Mera to be a part of the plot in Aquaman 2, although it doesn't appear that her role will have much of an impact on the story as a whole. Most likely, Mera's pregnancy will keep her on the sidelines for most of the main plot, although her exact screen time won't be confirmed until the movie releases in full.
Regardless of what the final tally on Heard's screentime is, her time with the DCEU will most likely be over after her third time playing Mera. Whether the role is overhauled completely in the new plan for the DCEU or Mera is recast for the third Aquaman movie, this will be a time for a major change in all aspects for the studio.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will premiere in theaters on March 17, 2023.
