Amber Heard has denied rumours she has been cut from the upcoming Aquaman sequel. On Tuesday (June 14th) an anonymous insider told gossip website Just Jared that the role had been recast.
“Warner Bros. decided to recast Amber Heard’s role after screen testing the movie. They are going to be doing reshoots with Jason Momoa and Nicole Kidman,” they said.
In a statement to Variety on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Heard denied the report and said: “The rumour mill continues as it has from day one – inaccurate, insensitive and slightly insane.”
Just Jared later updated its story to say that sources close to the production had told them she had “not been completely cut from the film. She still has a small role.” However, it insisted other sources still maintained that her character, Mera, was being completely recast.
Heard previously played Mera in the first Aquaman film and in Justice League. During the defamation trial, Heard alleged she had to “fight really hard” to keep the role, due to the negative publicity from Depp’s abuse allegations against her. She told the court that she had been given a new version of the sequel’s script that removed a fight scene, resulting in a “very pared-down version” of her part.
During the trial, DC Films head, Walter Hamada, confirmed the studio had momentarily considered recasting Heard’s character in the sequel because of a lack of chemistry between Heard and Momoa, who plays Aquaman. Hamada denied that the studio had reduced her role in the sequel.
Earlier this month a petition to entirely remove Heard from the film officially reached its target of 4.5 million signatures. Two days after a jury ruled in favour of Johnny Depp in the couple’s highly publicised defamation trial, the petition’s target was then bumped to 6 million signatures.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to be released around the world in March 2023.
