Amber Heard was never in danger of being fired from Aquaman 2, according to producer Peter Safran.
Rumors have claimed Warner Bros. considered removing Heard from the sequel due to the controversy surrounding her legal battle with Johnny Depp. Safran says fan pressure was not going to decide the studio’s plans for Mera.
Peter Safran Says Amber Heard Was Always Returning
Speaking with Deadline, Safran said Warner Bros. was aware of the online backlash but had no plans to remove Heard from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
“I don’t think we’re ever going to react to, honestly, pure fan pressure,” said Safran. “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.”
Safran also addressed the social media campaign against Heard, saying the studio was not going to treat online reaction as the deciding factor.
“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,” said Safran. “You have to do what’s right for the film, and that’s really where we landed on it.”
Rumors Claimed Amber Heard’s Role Would Be Reduced
The comments follow various rumors claiming Heard’s role as Mera could be reduced in Aquaman 2, possibly to make room for another actress or a new female superhero.
Those rumors have not been confirmed.
Other rumors have gone in the opposite direction, claiming Heard could get her own Mera spinoff on HBO Max. For now, Safran’s comments make it clear the Aquaman 2 team planned to keep Heard in the sequel.
Amber Heard Previously Responded To The Rumors
Heard has also pushed back against the rumors.
Back in November, Heard told EW she was excited to return as Mera and said online campaigns did not control casting decisions.
“I’m super excited about the amount of fan love and the amount of fan appreciation that Aquaman has acquired and that it has garnered so much excitement for Aquaman and Mera that it means we’ll be coming back. I’m so excited to film that,” Heard said.
She added, “Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don’t dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality. Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I’m excited to get started next year.”
Heard has also teased her Mera training on social media, another sign she is preparing to return for the sequel.
Amber Heard Returned In Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Heard also recently returned as Mera in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Worth noting, her appearance in Snyder’s cut did not seem to generate the same level of backlash as Aquaman 2. Most of the online campaign has focused on her return in the James Wan-directed sequel.
Aquaman 2 Release Date
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has a December 16, 2022 release date.
The movie is directed by James Wan and stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, and Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry.
(via Deadline)
