Aquaman 2 Director Defends One Controversial Move With Amber Heard's Mera

The following article includes mentions of domestic abuse allegations.

In what seems like a fitting end to the DCEU, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" could not stop bringing controversies to the doomed cinematic universe. Although not the only source, Amber Heard's legal drama brought countless headaches to the production. The actress claimed James Wan reduced her role in the sequel because of her very public court case with Johnny Depp, but the director stands by his decision for Mera's lack of screen time. 

"It's fair that [Heard] said that [about the character being pared down] because she wasn't in my head as I was working on this movie," Wan told Empire Magazine. "Actors don't necessarily know what we [directors] behind the scenes are thinking about. But this was always my plan." 

While this isn't the first time Wan has responded to Heard's claims, the director at least addresses the elephant in the room with the Empire interview. Previously, he never directly mentioned Heard or her concerns. Instead, he used his "Aquaman 2" pitch to explain Mera's absence, saying that Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and Orm's (Patrick Wilson) bromance was always the focus of the sequel. However, according to Heard's initial statement, she watched the production slowly write her out with each script.

As part of her defamation trial against Johnny Depp, Amber Heard recounted her experience during the production of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." In her testimony, the actress claimed that bad press led to the higher-ups at Warner Bros. wanting her gone, and she had to fight to maintain any sense of presence in the sequel.

"I was given a script and then given new versions of the script that had taken away scenes that had action in it, that depicted my character and another character, without giving any spoilers away, two characters fighting with one another, and they basically took a bunch out of my role," Heard testified, as published by Entertainment Weekly. Although she wanted to continue Mera's story, the actress said that communication between her and the studio effectively ended when Depp publicly accused her of assaulting him.

However, if you ask Wan, it was an entirely different situation behind the scenes of "Aquaman 2." Instead of continuing the relationship fans saw in the first film, the director never planned for Mera to play a significant role in the sequel. In the Empire interview and many others, the director claims to have always wanted more of a brotherly focus, with movies like "Tango & Cash" and "Men In Black" in mind.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.