Aquaman 2 Rumors of Amber Heard Being Fired Debunked

Rumors that Amber Heard has been fired from Aquaman 2 are being debunked. On Sunday, rumors [...]

Rumors that Amber Heard has been fired from Aquaman 2 are being debunked. On Sunday, rumors swirled on the internet that Heard had been fired from her role as Mera in the upcoming sequel to 2018's Aquaman with the unverified reports indicating that that the actress had not met physical requirements for the role. However, The Hollywood Reporter's Ryan Parker later took to social media to note that he'd been told by a reliable source that Heard has not off Aquaman 2, writing that the reports of her firing were "inaccurate". No additional details were provided.

This most recent rumor about Heard's status on the film isn't the first time it's been speculated that she has been replaced on the project. Amid Heard's ongoing legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp, there have been social media campaigns for her to be removed from the film with calls for Heard's firing ramping up after it was announced last November that Depp was stepping down from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise -- Mads Mikkelsen has since been cast in the Grindelwald role. At the time, Heard herself debunked the rumors that she was being replaced on the Aquaman sequel.

"I'm super excited about the amount of fan love and the amount of fan appreciation that Aquaman has acquired and that it has garnered so much excitement for Aquaman and Mera that it means we'll be coming back," Heard told Entertainment Weekly last year. "I'm so excited to film that."

Heard added, "Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don't dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality. Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I'm excited to get started next year."

Last fall, Depp lost his libel lawsuit against The Sun newspaper, a lawsuit that centered around allegations of Depp's abusive behavior toward Heard. The judge in the case ruled that the newspaper's reporting against Depp was "substantially true" declaring that Depp "did assault Ms. Heard". Depp is challenging that ruling and his application for permission to appeal is expected to be heard in March.

As for Aquaman 2, while details on the film remain few, star Dolph Lundgren revealed last month that the film is expected to start shooting this summer in London.

"I may be doing Aquaman 2 this summer, shooting in London," Lundgren said during a virtual Wizard World panel. "And that's coming out the following year in the theaters, they hope."

Aquaman 2 opens in theaters on December 16, 2022.

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