As Heard and Depp continue to file case after case against each other, it appears that most audiences are siding with Depp. Some are even going so far as to file a petition for the DCEU showrunners to fire Amber Heard and recast her role as Mera in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, where she stars opposite Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. However, while the petition has received over one million signatures, don’t expect this to have an effect on Heard’s future in the DCEU.
Why is the DCEU not going to recast Amber Heard?
As revealed by Peter Safran on the Deadline Hero Nation podcast, the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom producer clarifies that Warner Bros. isn’t “ever going to react to, honestly, pure fan pressure.” Safran, who is also the producer of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, a film that currently holds a near-perfect score among critics, simply said that “you gotta do what’s best for the movie.” He then added that he felt that Amber Heard belongs to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as James Wan, the film’s director, and Momoa are set to return for the upcoming DCEU film as well. Safran explains that people should not take what they hear online “as gospel or accede to their wishes.” At the moment, production on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is underway. A lot is riding on the shoulders of the film. Not only will the movie have to try and recapture the magic that made 2018’s Aquaman gross over $1.1 billion worldwide, but the film will have to deal with the backlash of choosing to bring back Heard in a lead role. #JusticeForJohnnyDeep is not going to die down anytime soon, if ever, for as long as Heard remains a cast member of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Heard previously addressed the protests against her in a November Entertainment Weekly interview by saying that “Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I’m excited to get started next year.” Depp and Heard’s legal fight continues to rage on. The two are next scheduled to go to trial in April 2022.
