The Mystery of Mera in Aquaman 2: What's Going On?
The highly anticipated release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has left fans questioning the notable absence of Mera, played by Amber Heard, in the sequel. Despite being a pivotal character in the first film, Mera's reduced presence has sparked speculation and raised numerous inquiries. Let's delve into the behind-the-scenes factors and controversies surrounding Mera's role in the DCEU sequel.
Mera's Role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom features relatively little of Amber Heard as Mera, despite the character being the chief love interest of the titular hero Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa). This has likely created some confusion as to why she's not more prominently featured and what her role might be in the DCEU sequel. However, there's a collection of factors behind Heard hardly being seen in the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom cast.
Amber Heard as Mera in Aquaman
In the first Aquaman movie from Warner Bros and DC Studios, Arthur Curry and Mera reunited after briefly interacting in 2017's Justice League. Working together to stop Arthur's half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) from conquering the surface world, Mera and Arthur went on a journey to recover the Trident of Atlan which Arthur used to unite the Seven Kingdoms as its new king. To that end, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom shows that Aquaman and Mera took their relationship further, even though Mera herself features relatively little in the final movie in the DCEU timeline.
Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Amber Heard as Mera in James Wan's Aquaman 2018
Upon the release of Aquaman 2, it was revealed that Mera's overall screen time collectively made up around 20 minutes of the overall installment, with the character also having relatively few lines of dialogue. The diminished role Mera plays in the sequel stuck out to many, but had been explained far prior to the release of the final DCEU movie, both because news of the complicated production circumstances of Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom had been much reported on in the months prior, and because director James Wan himself had discussed why Mera was set to feature less in the overall plot.
Amber Heard's Mera in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Behind-the-Scenes Controversies
According to sources who spoke to Variety, Amber Heard came close to being fired from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. This was reportedly unrelated to the then-ongoing Johnny Depp V. Amber Heard trial, and instead was due to a lack of chemistry between Jason Momoa and Heard, with the latter's attorney being contacted about the studio deciding to drop his client for this reason. However, this would not come to fruition, supposedly because Heard's former boyfriend Elon Musk had a lawyer compose a “scorched-earth letter to Warner Bros. threatening to burn the house down” if Heard was cut from the sequel.
Amber Heard's Mera in Aquaman 2 Image
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's director James Wan spoke about Amber Heard and her reduced role in the movie after speculation about the film began to mount. According to Wan himself, the DC sequel was always going to have a stronger focus on Aquaman and Orm joining forces as estranged brothers and former rivals, rather than Aquaman and Mera teaming as they did in the first movie. Having envisioned the first Aquaman film as 'a romance action-adventure movie' for Arthur and Mera, Wan stated the sequel would be a 'bromance' instead, as Arthur and Orm attempted to reconcile their differences to save the Seven Kingdoms.
Mera in Aquaman 2 Trailer
Behind the scenes reports add more context for what the behind the scenes Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom turmoil may have looked like. After the court fees were paid for the release of the notes from Amber Heard's therapist that were submitted as part of the Depp v Heard trial, some of Heard's perspective on the DC movie and its filming came to light. Some of the most pertinent of these notes covered the idea that the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom set was a hostile environment, that Momoa was reportedly drunk on set and trying to get Heard fired, and that director James Wan grew frustrated with being unable to fully promote the movie due to the ongoing legal battle between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp taking place at that time.
Amber Heard as Mera in Aquaman
The Impact of Legal Battles
During her very public court battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp over allegations of abuse and defamation, Heard claimed her role as Mera in Aquaman 2 was significantly reduced by Warner Bros. in response. Despite the aforementioned comments from James Wan to the contrary, and testimony from DC Films president Walter Hamada citing a lack of chemistry with Momoa, Heard believed her role was a 'very pared down version' of what it originally was with multiple action scenes having been taken out, implying that it was the result of her ongoing court battle and the allegations being made by both her and Depp regarding each other's alleged misconduct during their relationship.
Mera in Aquaman.
