What's the deal with Amber Heard and Aquaman, man? Fans were confused yesterday when the first full trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom dropped — and Amber, the female lead in 2018's first Aquaman film, barely appeared in the sequel's sneak peek. She has previously claimed that her role as Mera, love interest to Jason Momoa's title character, was reduced in the wake of her headline-dominating court battles with ex Johnny Depp. Here's what we know.
Does Amber Heard appear in Aquaman 2?
The actress, 37, is seen for one fleeting moment — maybe two — in the first full trailer for the DC sequel. In one, Mera is seen trapped underwater; in another, she may be seen from a distance, holding a baby at a picnic in front of a lighthouse on dry land. It's a huge change from the first film, which largely focused on the romantic relationship between Jason's superhero protagonist Arthur Curry and Amber's Mera. In the trailer, Arthur describes himself as a "husband and a father" and is seen caring for a baby, whose mother is presumably Mera. Fans have speculated that Mera may be killed off early in the film, but there's no concrete proof of that yet.
What has Amber Heard said about her role in Aquaman 2?
Amber addressed the sequel back in May 2022 during her defamation trial versus ex husband Johnny, saying her part was "pared down" because of all the negative publicity surrounding her legal battle with Johnny. "I fought really hard to stay in the movie — they didn't want to include me in the film," she said on the stand.
"I was given a script and 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," she added. "They basically took a bunch out of my role. They just removed a bunch out."
What has Aquaman 2 director James Wan said about Amber?
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, the sequel's director squashes speculation that Amber's performance was reduced due to the court case. Instead, he explained, the sequel would focus on Arthur's relationship with his half-brother Orm, played by Patrick Wilson. "I always pitched this to everyone from the get-go. The first Aquaman was Arthur and Mera's journey," he said. "The second movie was always going to be Arthur and Orm. So, the first was a romance action-adventure movie, the second one is a bromance action-adventure movie. We'll leave it at that."
Who else stars in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?
In addition to Jason, Amber, and Patrick, the second film also stars Nicole Kidman as Arthur's mother Atlanna, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the supervillain, Black Manta, who possesses a destructive and all-powerful object known as the Black Trident.
When does Aquaman 2 premiere?
The would-be blockbuster hits theaters December 20.
What was the box office for the first Aquaman?
Still DC's most commercially successful film, 2018's Aquaman grossed $1.1 billion globally.
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