Johnny Depp prevailed in his legal battle against Aquaman star Amber Heard, but for many people, that's not enough. There are those who feel the actor's career was unfairly tarnished after his ex-wife branded him a "wife-beater," and reports that Heard may now have a bigger than expected role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have not been welcomed.
It all started when a Twitter user called Undercover Audience claimed that the latest test screenings for the sequel have upped Heard's screentime as Mera from around 10 minutes to somewhere between 20 - 25 minutes.
We've heard that Warner Bros. trimmed Heard's role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom due to a lack of chemistry with co-star Jason Momoa, but the divisive actor (and pretty much everyone else) believes it's actually down to her courtroom war with Depp. Recasting Mera would have been the studio's smartest move, of course, but lots of fans are unhappy that Heard may now have more scenes.
Why? Well, Depp was fired from Warner Bros.' Fantastic Beasts franchise and replaced with another actor, Mads Mikkelsen, so until the same happens to Heard, we're guessing #BoycottAquaman2 will continue to trend online.
That's the response online to this rumour, anyway, and the fact it is trending globally in response to Heard's potential expanded role says a lot. Clearly, a lot of moviegoers don't want to watch Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom if she's in it, but whether Warner Bros. feels it's worth taking note is another matter altogether.
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut showed the power fandoms can have, and seeing as 2018's Aquaman was a $1 billion hit, it seems doubtful that the studio will want this sequel mired in negativity and social media campaigns. The question is, is there time to replace Heard's Mera before the movie splashes down into theaters on March 17, 2023?
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