As Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's ongoing legal battle continues to play out in court and across television, more revelations about the latter's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom role have surfaced.
With Depp blacklisted by Warner Bros. and removed from the Fantastic Beasts franchise following Heard's domestic abuse allegations, many of his fans have wondered why she wasn't cut from the Aquaman sequel (as Depp has made a series of similarly damaging claims). A petition asking that she be removed from the movie recently topped 4 million signatures, and that hasn't escaped the studio's attention.
Taking the stand yesterday, Heard revealed that she was initially released from her contract by Warner Bros. We know that was a three-picture deal that included Justice League, Aquaman, and a possible follow-up to either movie, and it sounds like the actor had to fight to return as Mera.
"They released me from my contract. And, I fought to stay in it, and they kept me in it; I just don’t know how much I’m in, actually, of the final cut," she explained before adding, "I don’t know if I will even be in the final cut or how much I will be. It was difficult to stay in the movie."
Clearly, those reports of Heard having less than 10 minutes of screentime were accurate and it doesn't sound like her role will be an important one. While there had been speculation that Mera might be killed off, don't be surprised if she's sidelined in a different way so Warner Bros. can recast the role down the line. After all, she's an incredibly important part of the Aquaman mythos and Arthur Curry's story.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom splashes into theaters on March 17, 2023.