Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan finally responded to Amber Heard's claims about her removed scenes in the DC sequel.
Heard has been at the center of controversy due to the public defamation trial between her and her ex-husband Johnny Depp. Despite that, the actress is still confirmed to star as Mera in Aquaman 2.
In May 2022, Mera actress Amber Heard claimed during the legal trial between her and Johnny Depp that Warner Bros. didn't want to put her in Aquaman 2 at all, pointing out that she played a "very pared-down version" of Mera in the sequel.
Heard also said that she was given “new versions of the script” that didn’t include action scenes involving Mera anymore.
Is Amber Heard's Aquaman 2 Role Reduced?
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan addressed Amber Heard's claims that her role in the sequel was reduced.
Wan insisted that the sequel's intended focus is always going to be the brother dynamic between Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry and Patrick Wilson and not between Arthur and Mera:
"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."
The filmmaker ended by describing Aquaman 2 as a "bromance action-adventure movie" and not a "romance action-adventure" film like the first entry to the franchise:
"So, the first was a romance action-adventure movie, the second one is a bromance action-adventure movie. We'll leave it at that."
In July 2023, Amber Heard addressed her upcoming return to the DCEU in a past interview in July 2023, saying that she is “honored” to be part of the franchise.
However, a past report from The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzales in August 2022 claimed that the actress’ Aquaman 2 screentime totals up to “about 20 minutes.”
What Is Mera’s Role in Aquaman 2?
Aquaman 2 director James Wan's latest comments indicate that Amber Heard's Mera will have a limited role in the sequel.
This doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing for the actress and her character since he appears to imply that it's what the story requires.
Still, the fact that Mera is even included in the movie is pretty significant, considering that fans will not be asking where the character has been all this time.
Based on the first Aquaman 2 teaser, Mera can be seen running towards a house on fire, which appears to be Thomas Curry's home.
Given Black Manta's all-out revenge against Arthur Curry, it's possible that the titular hero advises Mera to keep his parents safe, leading to them being isolated for a good chunk of the film.
This could explain why Mera is absent for a good amount of the movie, leading to Arthur and Orm's dynamic being pushed to the forefront.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to premiere in theaters on December 20.
