Newly-released footage of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom confirmed actor Amber Heard will reprise her role as Mera in the upcoming film, despite rumors of her being replaced.
The first trailer of the Aquaman sequel premiered at CinemaCon recently, during a presentation at the annual movie theater convention by Warner Bros.. Heard's Mera features in two short shots during the preview, fighting battle underwater in those sequences. However, Mera has no dialogue in the trailer.
Aquaman and the Lost Mera
Speculation about Heard being cut from The Lost Kingdom has been rife ever since the high-profile defamation trial involving her and ex-husband Johnny Depp between April and June of last year. During the trial, Heard conceded her role in the Aquaman sequel was drastically reduced, claiming her role as Mera was "a very pared-down version" of the character from the original film. "I fought really hard to stay in the movie — they didn't want to include me in the film," she said, adding that action scenes involving her and another character were cut.
The promotional footage released of the Aquaman sequel at CinemaCon suggests Mera isn't the main supporting character she was in the first film, alluding to the comments Heard made during the defamation trial. In 2018's Aquaman, Mera, the Xebel princess and daughter of King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren), was the love interest of Aquaman (Jason Momoa), featuring prominently alongside the Atlantean king in battle and showcasing her abilities, including the power to control the movement of water with her mind and communicate with fellow Atlanteans telepathically. However, the Aquaman follow-up will seemingly see Arthur Curry form an uneasy alliance with his half-brother Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson).
The Future of Aquaman
Heard's involvement isn't the only major rumor that has plagued The Lost Kingdom as it has long been speculated the film could be Momoa's swansong in the Aquaman series, considering he's been strongly linked to play Lobo in the DCU. Though Momoa has reaffirmed his commitment to playing Aquaman, talk about him becoming Lobo grew louder after test screenings of The Lost Kingdom drew such a bad reaction, with audiences reportedly going so far as to walk out of screenings.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom also features Willem Dafoe as Arthur's mentor and Atlantis' vizier Nuidus Vulko, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as high-seas mercenary Black Manta and Nicole Kidman reprising her role as Arthur's mother Atlanna. It also is expected to feature Batman, though it's unclear whether Ben Affleck's or Michael Keaton's version will be included as Momoa conceded scenes featuring both were filmed. For Heard, The Lost Kingdom will be her fourth appearance as Mera in a superhero film, having also played the role in Justice League and Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in theaters on Dec. 20.
Source: CinemaCon via Insider