Amber Heard Claims Aquaman 2 Role Was Heavily Reduced Amid Johnny Depp Abuse Allegations

Don’t expect to see much of Amber Heard in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom because he role in the DC sequel has been significantly reduced amid the mudslinging showdown between she and ex-husband Johnny Depp.

Heard disclosed this at the US$50 million (S$70 mil) defamation trial in which Depp is suing the actress after she alleged being a domestic abuse victim in a Washington Post op-ed.

Heard alleged that her role as Mera was cut down after Depp’s legal team called her a liar regarding her abuse claims against Depp.

“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 spoiler away, two characters fighting with one another, and they basically took a bunch out of my role,” she said, per Variety. “They just removed a bunch out.”

During cross-examination, Heard shared that she was contractually bound to play Mera in three movies — starting with 2017’s Justice League, followed by 2018’s Aquaman, and next year’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Heard added that she received  US$1 million for Aquaman where her role opposite Jason Momoa was larger and was paid double of that for The Lost Kingdom.

Directed by James Wan, who also helmed the first movie, The Lost Kingdom also stars Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Kidman.  

Heard’s revelations of her alleged pared-down appearance come after more than 4 million people have signed a petition calling for her removal from The Lost Kingdom. The Change.org campaign was launched in late 2020.

Earlier this month, film journalist Grace Randolph, who’s known for comic book movie scoops, claimed that Heard’s screentime is less than 10 minutes.

If this is true, it runs contrary to Aquaman producer Peter Safran’s comments last year about not bowing down to any pressure to remove Heard.

Speaking to Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast, Safran said, “I don’t think we’re ever going to react to, honestly, pure fan pressure.  You gotta do what’s best for the movie. We felt that if it’s James Wan and Jason Momoa, it should be Amber Heard. That’s really what it was. One is not unaware of what is going on in the Twitter-verse, but that doesn’t mean you have to react to it or take it as gospel or accede to their wishes. You have to do what’s right for the film, and that’s really where we landed on it.”

We’ll know the whole truth when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom starts its global roll-out in March 2023.

Photos: TPG News/Click Photos