Despite some recent rumors that Amber Heard has been fired from Aquaman 2, this now doesn’t appear to be the case. According to insider Daniel Richtman, talk that Emilia Clarke, who’s been linked to the role of Mera before, is set to replace Heard, has no basis in truth. And although this news may not be taken as positively by some people as it will be by others, it seems that Heard’s immediate career prospects and personal life are going to be shadowed by these sorts of stories for a while yet.
Of course, in recent weeks, Richtman has also reported that the actress is angry at Warner Bros. for bringing in another female lead, reducing her screen time in the Aquaman sequel. However, she’s apparently set to get a pay rise for her part in the movie, too, so it’s hard to really know what’s going on behind the scenes on the film. Meanwhile, campaigns to boycott it rumble on in the background, with the actress’ legal battles with ex-husband Johnny Depp also set to resume this year.
Mera will next be seen as a supporting figure in Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut, and there’s even been talk that she could be upgraded to a more prominent presence in the League following the events of that picture. Furthermore, Heard can currently be found in the new version of The Stand on CBS All Access, wherein she appears as Nadine Cross, one of the more villainous figures on the show.
Given how the Heard-Depp controversy isn’t going away anytime soon, it’s hard not to see Aquaman 2 receiving a lot of scrutiny as it gradually heads into production. The studio have continued to back the actress in the last year, though, and it seems that she’s still very much in contention for other major roles in Hollywood, despite negative online campaigns. For now, then, we can probably rule out a Mera recasting.