Fans have been petitioning for months to see Amber Heard replaced with some other star in James Wan’s upcoming Aquaman 2. But now that Johnny Depp has lost the libel case against The Sun and subsequently his role in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, they’re more adamant than ever that Warner Bros. get rid of his former wife.
After a lengthy legal battle, the UK court ruled in favor of the British publication, even though there was insurmountable evidence against Depp’s then-partner. This obviously enraged a lot of fans, and things even got messier when WB announced that they were recasting Grindelwald in the Wizarding World’s spinoff films.
And yet, all we’ve heard about the company’s plans to reduce Heard’s role or even remove her has been nothing more than disperse hearsay. That hasn’t stopped the online community, though, as the petition to fire the London Fields star from the next pic in the DCEU’s Aquaman series has almost reached a million signatures.
If it comes to it, there are a number of great choices to replace the actress, though the internet seems to favor Emilia Clarke again and again. After some seamless fan art showed the Game of Thrones alum in costume as Mera, a new piece from renowned artist BossLogic now depicts the Queen of Atlantis in all her glory, and you can check it out down below.
It’s unclear whether Warner Bros. would ever even consider recasting Mera for Aquaman 2, but we can’t imagine that a lot of actresses would jump at the opportunity to fill such a controversial role. In any case, it would be wise for the company to at least reduce Heard’s presence in the film, lest they risk widespread boycotting and bad press from Depp’s fans and casual viewers alike.