Aquaman 2 Star Amber Heard Says Filming Hopeful to Begin Next Year

Though not officially greenlit by the studio just yet, the Aquaman sequel is apparently gearing up to start shooting in the first part of the year. This news comes from co-star Amber Heard, who appeared as the hero's love interest Mera in both the 2017 solo film and also in the theatrical cut of Justice League. In a new interview, Heard confirmed that she's....heard....that production will start in early 2021 while also revealing that no, she has not been replaced in the film's cast. Speaking with EW, the actress said: "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. I'm so excited to film that."

She added, addressing the rumors that she would be replaced in the part, "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." The upcoming sequel is currently scheduled to be released in December of 2022.

Jason Momoa will return as the titular hero for the sequel which will also bring back co-stars Patrick Wilson as Orm and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. Director James Wan will step behind the camera once again, working from a script by the original film's co-writer, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick.

Momoa previously opened up about his own feelings about the franchise and his character, telling the Associated Press in an interview: "I'm very passionate about that, the direction of where Aquaman goes, and so I went in with an idea and a pretty good layout of what I would like to do with the second one. And a lot of support, absolute, a lot of support from Warner Bros. and DC. So, it'll always be a team vision, but I definitely wanted to express my passion about number two."

"Just like the first movie had a touch of my horror sensibility in it, in regards to the Trench sequence, I would say there will be a little bit of that in this next one," Wan said when answering fan questions ahead of his appearance at DC FanDome. "I think it's something that's a big part of who I am, and it just naturally comes out in these kinds of films."

Aquaman 2 is set to arrive on December 16, 2022 release date, a point on the calendar that has it going head-to-head with the frequently delayed Avatar 2. That date just isn't big enough for two highly anticipated sequels to billion dollar movies that begin with the letter A.