Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom won't be released in theaters for nearly a year, but it's been at the center of many recent conversations surrounding the DCEU due to Amber Heard's defamation trial against Johnny Depp. As the trial nears its final stages with Heard and Depp both taking the stand, various stories are coming to light regarding Heard's place in her next DC outing.
While Heard herself has shared her thoughts on what Warner Bros. did with her role due to her ongoing legal battle, other big names from the studio have taken the stand to give a clearer picture of what exactly happened. Most recently, DC President of Films Walter Hamada expressed that Heard didn't face any repercussions and was welcomed back to the film through this ugly situation, although the details about the truth are still quite unclear.
One of Heard's biggest claims during the trial has been that her role in Aquaman 2 was diminished significantly, even as her co-stars and co-workers openly spoke about their joy and excitement about bringing her back for a second solo Aquaman movie. Now, in the latest development from the trial, an outside consultant has stepped up to the stand to add another layer of information to everything that took place, all while teasing what's coming in the Aquaman sequel as well.
Aquaman 2 Plot Points Come Out in Court
Kathryn Arnold, an entertainment industry consultant, took the stand at the defamation trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, revealing key plot points concerning Heard's role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
After saying that Heard's role was cut down significantly from what it once was, Arnold shared that the movie has Heard's Mera "in the hospital" quite quickly during the movie's first act. This kept Mera from being part of a major action sequence that she was originally supposed to have in the movie's final moments.
"They had her in the hospital very shortly in the first part of the movie called Act One. They had her in the hospital and they pretty much had her in the hospital and then she was going to do this action sequence in the end."
Arnold shared that Mera is either injured in the first part of the film or that her absence has something to do with her pregnancy. We at the Direct exclusively reported on Mera being pregnant with her and Arthur Curry's child for most of the film:
"I believe that in the first act of the movie, she was injured somehow… or has something to do with the baby."
Amber Heard Mostly Removed From Aquaman 2?
It seemed inevitable that this trial would touch on Amber Heard’s status within the DCEU, especially since her role in the Aquaman franchise is one of only two credits on her resume from the past four years. It’s clear that she wanted to make the most out of her place in the story and her time on screen after so much training for the role, but due to this trial, there are questions about whether her reported actions caused Warner Bros. to take such drastic action against her.
While she seems to be involved with the sequel's first act, according to these quotes, the movie's core runtime may not include much of Heard at all if she's laid up in a hospital bed for some undisclosed reason. Whether this is due to her suffering some kind of injury or simply recovering from her pregnancy is a mystery, and there are signs pointing to the actress largely being absent from the rest of the story after this event.
With only a few more days remaining in this trial against Johnny Depp, Heard's status in Aquaman 2 will remain a mystery at least until the movie's promotional tour begins later this year. After that, the actress behind Mera may possibly leave the franchise altogether, which could depend on the results of the trial as well.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will debut in theaters on March 17, 2023.
