Director James Wan, of “Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom,” has responded for the first time to these allegations, stating that Amber Heard’s role in the film was “written into the story,” as the actress herself has claimed.
“I had always put it out there from the beginning. The first Aquaman was a journey of Arthur (Jason Momoa) and Mera (Heard). The second one was always going to be about Arthur and Orm (Patrick Wilson),” Wan recently told EW. “So, the first one was an action-adventure romance, the second one is a bromance action-adventure. We leave it at that.”
During the legal proceedings with her ex-husband Johnny Depp, Heard mentioned in her testimony, “I was given a script, and then new versions of the script were given to me, where scenes were removed that showed action where my character and another character – without giving any spoilers – were fighting with each other, and they had taken a bunch of that stuff out.”
She also testified that her role had been “greatly diminished.”
Former DC boss Walter Hamada’s testimony in the case aligns with Wan’s statement. Hamada commented on Mera’s prominence in the film, saying, “The character’s involvement in the story has been the same from the start.” He referred to it as a “buddy-comedy” sequel, with Momoa and Wilson as “co-leads.”
Heard’s agent testified that her role was reduced due to a “lack of chemistry” between her and Jason Momoa.
With a bit of foresight, Deadline had asked Heard earlier this year if she was excited about the sequel. Heard told Deadline, “Aquaman, the franchise and its machinery, I’m honored to be a part of it.”
In the context of the challenging circumstances faced by “The Flash” and “Black Adam” – no mention of rumors, a pandemic-inspired release date change, and Wan’s recent health issues – Heard commented, “There’s a lot of pressure on these big franchise movies, which are worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and making compromises is part of trying to make it the most successful thing.”
In July 2021, Deadline asked producer Peter Safran about whether the social media campaign by Johnny Depp fans to remove Amber Heard from the DC sequel had any impact on production and casting decisions.
Safran said, “I don’t think, quite honestly, that we’re ever going to react to pure fan pressure honestly.”
“You have to do what’s best for the movie,” Safran added. “We felt that if it’s James Wan and Jason Momoa, then it should be Amber Heard. That’s really what it was.”
“Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom” is set to release in theaters on December 20th.
For more:
“Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom” Teaser Trailer: A glimpse into the sequel starring Jason Momoa in the DC Universe 2023 Movie Release Date Calendar ‘The Flash’ opens below ‘Black Adam,’ sees 1.1 million homes on Max over the weekend.