Amber Heard's role in 'Aquaman' cut due to lack of chemistry, not ongoing trial

DC Films chief denied actor's role being reduced due to the highly publicised proceedings

DC Films chief, Walter Hamada, who was recently brought to the stand during the ongoing Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial, stated that Heard's role in Aquaman 2 was not reduced due to the highly publicised proceedings. The actor had claimed during the trial that the defamation suit had cost her the role of Mera in the superhero film. 

However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Hamada shared that Heard's role was reduced in the film due to a lack of chemistry with her co-lead Jason Momoa, who plays the titular character in the film. 

Explaining how the two "didn't have a lot of chemistry together," Hamada elaborated further, “The reality is it’s not uncommon on movies for two leads to not have chemistry and it’s sort of movie magic and editorial — the ability to put performances with the magic of a great score and how you put the pieces together, you can fabricate that chemistry. At the end of the day when you watch the movie, it looks like they have great chemistry. But I just know that through the course of post production, it took a lot of effort to get there." 

He added, "Sometimes you just put characters together on the screen and they work. It’s like what makes a movie star a movie star. You know it when you see it. The chemistry wasn’t there. … This one was more difficult because of lack of chemistry between the two.”

Heard testified during her defamation trial last week that she “fought really hard to stay in the movie” but “they [filmmakers] didn’t want to include me” and shot only a “pared down version” of her part as Mera, as per The Hollywood Reporter.