You might be a bit sick of hearing about this damn trial, but if nothing else, it has been a gold mine for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom spoilers.
Both star Amber Heard and one of her key witnesses, insider Catherine Arnold, have already spilled some significant story details, and now DC Films President Walter Hamada is getting in on the action.
Hamada appeared as a witness after being called by Depp’s side as they begin their rebuttal of Heard’s counterclaim, and not only did he confirm that Warner Bros. considered replacing the actress as Mera due to concerns that she had no chemistry with Jason Momoa, but he also revealed a pretty major plot point relating to the first film's villain, Orm.
Apparently, James Wan's sequel was "conceived as a buddy comedy between Momoa and Patrick Wilson," which obviously suggests that Ocean Master will indeed turn over a new leaf and join his half-brother to take on Black Manta. The WB exec also testified that the abuse allegations played no role in casting decisions.
“They didn’t have a lot of chemistry together,” Hamada said. “Editorially they were able to make that relationship work in the first movie, but there was a concern that it took a lot of effort to get there.” He added that “movie magic” was used to enhance their scenes and "create" chemistry between the leads.
However this trial plays out, we don't expect to see Heard return as Mara in the DCEU after The Lost Kingdom. There's a chance the character will be killed off, but a recasting makes a lot more sense, as Mera is a pretty vital part of the Aquaman mythos.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.