The highly anticipated sequel to 2018’s Aquaman is expected to start production this summer. Amber Heard, who played Mera, Princess of Xebel, recently teased her return to the DCEU franchise on social media.
Aquaman starred Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, and Patrick Wilson as Orm Marius/Ocean Master. Insidious’ James Wan directed the film, while David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall penned the script. The sixth DCEU film saw Curry defeat his devious half-brother Orm and become the ruler of the undersea Kingdom of Atlantis. The film concluded with Curry sitting on the throne alongside Heard’s Mera. Despite earning modest reviews from critics, the blockbuster earned over $1 billion worldwide and was the most successful DCEU film of all time.
Wan is directing the upcoming Aquaman sequel, while Momoa, Wilson, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be reprising their roles. Pilou Asbaek, who notably played the villainous Euron Greyjoy on Game of Thrones, was recently cast in a mystery role. Meanwhile, Heard confirmed that she is returning to play the Xebellian princess. This came after numerous reports suggesting that she would not be brought back. In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Heard stated, "Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don't dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality.” The actress has been in a public legal battle with her ex-husband Johnny Depp over the past couple of years. She was last seen as Mera in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, while Depp lost his role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3.
This past weekend, Heard shared a throwback photo from the first Aquaman film on Instagram. In the photo, she is seen reading a novel outside of her trailer. In the caption, she wrote, "Before Aquaman took the last pages out of this book. #gettingakindleforaquaman2." While promoting the original film, Heard revealed that Momoa would prank her by ripping out the last pages of the novels that she was reading on the set.
Despite the original being a box-office hit, Warner Bros. canned James Wan’s Aquaman spin-off, The Trench. The standalone film, written by Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald, was going to focus on the deadly amphibious creatures featured in Aquaman. Despite the cancelation, there are several DC films in the pipeline. The Suicide Squad (August 2021), The Flash (Nov 2022), Black Adam (July 2022), and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (June 2023) are just a few of the films that will be released in theatres over the next two years.
So, despite the fan petitions calling on Warner Bros. to fire Heard from Aquaman 2, it appears the actress isn't going anywhere. Now, only time will tell what's in store for the Princess of Xebel when she returns for the long-awaited sequel.
Aquaman 2 is scheduled to be released in theatres on December 16, 2022.
Source: Amber Heard | Instagram