Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, it seems Amber Heard is set to return as Mera for Aquaman 2, and is very much looking forward to wading back into action when cameras start rolling next year.
The actress was - and still is - at the centre of a messy legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp, who she has accused of domestic abuse. However, there is evidence that Heard also engaged in violent behaviour during the marriage, and many feel she should be held accountable.
Depp was recently fired from his role as Gridelwald in the next Fantastic Beasts movie after losing a libel case against British rag The Sun, and that seems to have stoked the ire of Heard's detractors, who believe Warner Bros. should also replace her as Mera in James Wan's upcoming sequel.
Now, Heard has confirmed that she'll be back as the future Queen of Atlantis, pointing out to EW that "paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don't dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality."
"I'm super excited about the amount of fan love and the amount of fan appreciation that Aquaman has acquired and that it has garnered so much excitement for Aquaman and Mera that it means we'll be coming back," she added. "I'm so excited to film that."
How do you guys feel about this? Should the studio be consistent and ask Heard to swim away from the Mera role, or are they right to keep her on as the the character. Drop us a comment down below, and check out our spoiler breakdown of the first film by clicking the next/one page button.
To view the moments all at once, simply click on the VIEW LIST (ONE PAGE) button below!
Atlanna Kicks Atlantian Ass
We did glimpse some of this in the trailers, but one of the most impressively executed action sequences in the movie is Queen Atlanna's (Nicole Kidman) beat-down of some troops that come to take her back to Atlantis.
Once she sees that Tom Curry and their young son are in danger, Atlanna launches a ferocious attack against her would-be captors, dispatching them all with relative ease.
Many assumed that The Queen would be killed here, but she survives and returns to Atlantis of her own free will in order to keep her family safe, promising to return someday.
Arthur Saves The Sub, But Not Manta's Father
After a flashback, present-day Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) is introduced while in the middle of rescuing the crew of a submarine from a group of pirates led by the future Black Manta and his father.
After a tussle, Kane Sr. is pinned down as the sub begins to flood. His son pleads with Aquaman to save him, but to no avail. This fuels David's thirst for vengeance and ultimately leads to him taking up his grandfather's supervillain mantle.
Mera To The Rescue
After Arthur joins his father for a grand ol' Guinness session, Mera (Amber Heard) enters the fray to plead with the "halfbreed" to return with her to Atlantis and put a stop to Orm's plan to start a war with the surface world.
Curry is not interested in the slightest, but when Mera uses her water-bending abilities to save Tom from a gigantic wave of ocean rubbish sent by his half-brother, he reconsiders and agrees to intervene.
Arthur Challenges Orm
When Arthur and Mera are captured during their exposition excursion to see Vulko (Willem Dafoe), Orm (Patrick Wilson) coerces his big brother into challenging him to gladiatorial combat in the Ring of Fire.
Arthur puts up a good fight, but Orm is in his element at the end of the day and ultimately defeats the "surface dwelling bastard."
This is another sequence we've seen quite a bit of in the various trailers and TV spots, but the full thing is still a pretty thrilling action set piece.
Showdown In Sicily
After fleeing to the desert on a mission to discover the whereabouts of Neptune's trident, Arthur and Mera arrive in a stunning part of Sicily to eat some flowers and continue the search. Unfortunately, a powered-up Black Manta has tracked them down and launches a surprise attack.
What follows is the rooftop chase that was spotlighted in the extended sneak peek, and while there is a bit more to it, it's a shame they showed us so much in that teaser because it's arguably the best sequence of the movie.
In the end, our heroes manage to defeat Manta and leave him for dead.
The Trench
To reach the trident, our aquatic heroes must get past an army of deep-sea creatures known as The Trench. Wan's horror sensibilities come into play big time here as Aquaman and Mera fight their way through legions of the ferocious beasts before diving to the depths of the ocean as thousands of Trench swarm above.
It's a stunning sequence, which ends with Mera being rescued by a mysterious figure and brought ashore to The Land That Time Forgot...
Atlanna Lives
Believed to have been sacrificed top The Trench, Queen Atlanna actually managed to fight her way through the same way Mera and Arthur did and had been living on Dino-Island dressed like a crab ever since.
When Arthur emerges from the water we have an emotional mother/son reunion, before Atlanna explains that the only way to get back through the portal is with Neptune's Trident, and that's being guarded by a legendary monster known as The Karathen.
The Karathen
It turns out that the fabled Karathen (Julie Andrews) is big... like, really big.
After getting knocked around for a bit, Arthur gets on the creature's good side by having a little chat and then telling her to go screw herself (Aquabro ends a lot of conversations in this manner), so she allows him to test his worthiness by attempting to retrieve the trident.
He does (all hail King Arthur!), and emerges from the waterfall decked out in that gorgeous orange and green armor.
The Final Battle
Aquaman has its share of problems, but even its harshest critics will surely have to admit that the final battle sequence is pretty damn amazing to witness.
As Orm and his armies lay waste to The Brine King and his crab-people, Arthur arrives with The Karathen and a lot of fishy friends to turn the tide. What follows is an epic clash which ends when Mera - who also takes the time to plant a kiss on Arthur - convinces her father (Dolph Lundgren) to back the surface-dwelling hero as the one true king and cease his attack.
Aquaman Vs. Ocean Master
Arthur didn't fare so well against his half-brother underwater, so he takes their rematch to the surface for another trident duel. This time, though, Aquaman gets the better of the self-proclaimed Ocean Master, proving his worth as the rightful ruler of Atlantis.
Orm remains defiant even in the face of mercy, but when Atlanna reveals herself he's happy to see her alive and softens. Arthur tells his half-brother that he's willing to talk when he's ready and a redemption arc is teased.
Orm did murder an innocent mer-child's father right in front of her a few minutes earlier, but these things happen.
I am... AQUAMAN!
There are a few instances of characters announcing their superhero/villain mantles in hilariously dramatic fashion in this movie, and Arthur follows suit right at the end.
With war averted and the people of both worlds safe, the new King of Atlantis takes a moment to rocket through the waves for a big slow-mo jump and a declaration that he most definitely "is... AQUAMAN!"
It's cheesy as hell, but works as a final shot to send 'em home happy.
Mid-Credits Manta
The mid-credits scene teases an even angrier, shoutier Black Manta for the sequel.
As we've covered already, this sequence focuses on a character we briefly met earlier in the movie, Dr. Shin (Randall Park), who rescues the injured villain after his battle with Arthur and Mera.
When Manta comes to, Shin asks him to take him to the legendary underwater city, and the vengeance-fueled baddie says he'll do it on one condition: Shin delivers the man who killed his father. He then throws a knife into Aquaman's picture just in case it wasn't clear who he was talking about.