A Hollywood executive recently addressed the speculation surrounding Amber Heard’s role as Mera in the Aquaman films, confirming what fans had suspected about the potential recasting.
Heard debuted as the DC Comics character in 2018’s Aquaman, starring alongside Jason Momoa, who played Arthur Curry.
The film garnered mixed reviews, receiving a 66 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Nonetheless, it was enough to greenlight a sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, set for release in 2023, featuring Momoa’s return.
Heard reprised her role for the sequel, but her participation was clouded by her public legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp.
During the trial, Heard testified, saying: “I fought hard to stay in the movie. They didn’t want to include me in the film. 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 explained.
“They basically took a bunch out of my role,” Heard continued. “They just removed a bunch.”
Despite Heard’s claims, Walter Hamada, the former president of DC Studios, refuted allegations that Warner Bros. had intentionally reduced Heard’s scenes due to her legal issues with Depp.
Hamada instead highlighted a lack of chemistry between Heard and Momoa as the primary reason her return was uncertain.
He stated: “They didn’t really have a lot of chemistry together. The reality is, it’s not uncommon in movies for two leads to not have chemistry.”
The absence of on-screen chemistry did not go unnoticed, with some viewers discussing it on Twitter.
A tweet noted, “Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom review: Amber Heard only has a few lines, the audience dislikes her and the tension/lack of chemistry between her and Jason Momoa translated to the screen.”
Hamada noted during the trial that while on-screen relationships can be enhanced through ‘movie magic and editorial’, achieving the desired effect often requires significant effort.
Despite the challenges, Heard returned to the sequel, which fans rated positively, scoring 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ ‘Popcornometer’. However, critics were less favorable, awarding it a 34 percent rating.
Heard also appeared as Mera in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, released in 2021.