Heard played the role of Mera in the DC franchise, making her debut as the character in the 2017 film Justice League.
She later appeared in the first Aquaman film alongside Jason Momoa and reprised her role in its sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
The first film, released in 2018, was a box office hit, earning an impressive $1.1 billion worldwide and receiving mostly positive reviews.
In an interview with Elle, the Zombieland star described her character as ‘empowered’ and ‘proactive.’
The actress added, “That seems like a low bar to set… but let’s face it, in the entertainment industry there’s such a lack of representation, I think it’s worth saying.”
In the DC Universe, a major overhaul is underway with James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and film producer Peter Safran now overseeing its future.
Addressing the DC fandom on X (formerly Twitter), Gunn stated: “We know we can’t make every single person happy every step of the way, but we promise that everything we do is in service of the STORY and the DC CHARACTERS you cherish, and that we’ve cherished our whole lives.”
Gunn continued, “As for more details about the future of the DCU, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait. We are giving these characters and stories the time and attention they deserve, and we still have many questions to ask and answer ourselves.”
The first major change was the removal of Henry Cavill as Superman, a fan favorite for many.
He’s been replaced by American actor David Corenswet, known for his role in the horror film Pearl.
Gunn and Safran have also revealed their vision for a DC universe where lesser-known characters are given the chance to shine.
Gunn told The Hollywood Reporter, “One of our strategies is to take our diamond characters — Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman — and use them to support other characters that people may not be as familiar with.”
Safran added, “To build those lesser-known properties into the diamond properties of tomorrow.”
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was filmed before the DC reinvention, so it was still released, with Heard returning to her role as Mera.
However, this decision didn’t sit well with many fans.
In 2022, Heard was involved in a highly publicized defamation trial against her ex-husband, Johnny Depp.
It led to the 37-year-old being harshly trolled on social media.
Heard claimed, via Business Insider, “I was given a script and then given new versions of the script that removed scenes with action… and they basically cut down a lot of my role.”
This accusation was dismissed by then-DC boss Walter Hamada, who stated that the reduction of her role had no connection to Depp.
During his testimony, he said, “I think editorially, they were able to make that relationship work in the first movie.”
“However, there was concern that it required too much effort to achieve, and perhaps we’d be better off finding someone who naturally has better chemistry with Jason Momoa and moving forward with them instead.”
This isn’t the only detail that has emerged about Heard’s relationship with Momoa on the Aquaman set.
They claimed that Momoa would arrive on set drunk, “dressing like Johnny,” and that he attempted to have her removed from the movie.
However, this claim was refuted by a DC spokesperson, who stated, “Jason Momoa conducted himself in a professional manner at all times on the set of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”
Despite the reports and controversy surrounding the film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was released in theaters in December 2023.
Although it received modest reviews, it only earned $434 million at the box office—over $500 million less than the first film’s gross.
Heard did return as Mera, but her screen time was limited.
Before the sequel’s release, fans were advocating for a different actress to take on the role of Mera.
A petition was started to have Blake Lively replace Heard, and it garnered over 17,000 signatures.
However, the favored candidate for the role was actually someone with a history with Momoa. Thanks to designer Diego de Sousa, fans have gotten a good idea of how she might look in the role.
“I’m here for it,” comments one person.
Another added, “For sure, she’s a better Mera than Amber Heard.”
Fans suggested Emilia Clarke, who starred opposite Momoa in Game of Thrones.
Given the box-office performance of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and James Gunn’s takeover of DC Studios, it seems unlikely there will be a third Aquaman film.
Momoa hasn’t ruled out reprising his role as the King of Atlantis, but he understands that the decision isn’t up to him.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the Dune star said, “I don’t necessarily want it to be the end, but I don’t think it’s really, like, a choice.”
“The truth is, if the audience loves it, then there’s a possibility. But right now, I’m like, ‘It’s not looking too good.’”
