Before-and-after images from the production of “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” were shared by Amber Heard on Instagram. She also commended followers for their support of her return to the comic book franchise as Mera. Heard testified in court during her defamation prosecution against Johnny Depp in 2022 that Warner Bros. “did not want to include me” in the “Aquaman” sequel as a result of the repercussions of her divorce from Depp. This makes the post noteworthy. She stated that action sequences were “omitted” and her role in the sequel was “reduced.”
Heard wrote on Instagram, “After all this time, ‘Aquaman 2’ made its splash (sorry, it’s too easy).” “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all of my devoted followers for their tremendous support and affection during Mera’s [‘Aquaman’] return. Many thanks very much.”
Much less publicity was generated for “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” including contributions from performers Nicole Kidman and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Heard. Since its North American release on December 20, the film has barely grossed $81 million and counting, with leading actors Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson being the only ones to hit the publicity trail for it. Mera, portrayed by Heard, was a major character in the 2018 blockbuster “Aquaman,” but she has a supporting role in the sequel.
As stated by director James Wan, the sequel’s primary focus never aligned with that of the original film, which was Mera and Aquaman. Prior to the sequel’s theatrical release, he disclosed to Entertainment Weekly that “Aquaman 2” consistently placed Aquaman’s antagonistic half-brother Orm’s (Patrick Wilson) relationship ahead of his with Mera.
Wan stated, “I pitched this to everyone from the very beginning.” “The initial ‘Aquaman’ was the journey of Arthur and Mera.” Arthur and Orm was invariably set to be the second film. Thus, the first was an action-adventure romance film, and the second is an action-adventure bromance film. It will be left at that.”
Variety reported a few weeks prior to the release of the sequel that Jason Momoa allegedly dressed as Johnny Depp on set and attempted to have Heard removed from the film. Additionally, Heard’s therapist’s notes revealed that she felt unsupported by Wan throughout production.
Warner Bros. has “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” in theaters across the globe.
