Amber Heard has confirmed that Warner Bros. didn't want her to reprise the role of Mera for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and it sounds like she will now have a significantly reduced part in the movie.
A recent report indicated that the studio had concerns about bringing Heard back for the sequel because of what was seen as a "lack of chemistry" with leading man Jason Momoa. Whether that's true or not, the actress has now admitted that she had to fight "really hard to stay in the movie."
This came to light during the ongoing defamation trial between Heard and ex-husband Johnny Depp. When asked if she participated in shooting James Wan's sequel, Heard said, "They didn't want to include me in the film," before adding that she now has "A very pared down version of that role."
"I was given a script," she continued. "Then given new versions of the script that had taken away scenes that had action in it, that depicted my character and another character, without giving any spoilers away. Two characters fighting with one another. They basically took a bunch out of my role. They just removed a bunch."
Whatever happens with this trial, based on what Heard says here, it's probably safe to assume she won't be back as Mera for a third Aquaman movie or any other DC Comics-based project! In fact, we wouldn't be at all surprised if the Atlantean warrior was killed-off in the upcoming sequel.
After a delay pushed the film out of its original December 2022 release window, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom is set to hit theaters on March 17, 2023.