Amber Heard returns to ‘Aquaman 2’ amid campaign to remove her from film

Johnny Depp supporters have been hard at work to get Heard out of the franchise post nasty legal battle

Amber Heard's appearance in the new trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has caused quite a stir at CinemaCon 2023, as per the Los Angeles Times. The movie-industry event in Las Vegas showcased the preview for the upcoming film, featuring Jason Momoa and Heard reprising their roles as Arthur and Mera, respectively. While the trailer hasn't been released to the public yet, Warner Bros. confirmed that Heard makes an appearance in it.

The news of Heard's cameo comes amid an online campaign by Johnny Depp supporters to remove her from the sequel. The virtual petition has garnered over 4.6 million signatures and refers to Heard as a "domestic abuser." The campaign gained momentum last spring when Heard and Depp made allegations of domestic violence and abuse during their highly-publicized defamation trial in Virginia. The jury awarded Depp more than $10 million, while Heard received $2 million.

Heard expressed her disappointment after losing the case, saying that it sets back the clock to a time when women who spoke up could be publicly shamed and humiliated. During the trial, Heard testified that she almost lost her role in the first Aquaman film due to the media frenzy surrounding her legal battles with Depp. However, the former president of Warner Bros. Pictures, Walter Hamada, claimed that it was due to a lack of onscreen "chemistry" between her and Momoa.

Hamada also disagreed with Heard's claim that her role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom had been "pared down" due to the Depp situation. According to the film exec, Mera was never intended to play a central role in the sequel, citing a lack of chemistry between Heard and Momoa.

Throughout the trial, both Heard and Depp received a mix of support and hate on social media, although animosity towards Heard was more prevalent. Despite the controversy surrounding her, Heard's appearance in the trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom suggests that the studio is standing by her.

Directed by James Wan, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to hit theatres on December 20.

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