The salacious tabloid story of the moment is undoubtedly the ongoing defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. And while some allegations tossed at Heard are worth a chuckle or two, in all honesty, it’s an overall sad state of affairs. No one, not even the rich and famous, should have their dirty laundry on such wide display as this very public court case has done for both parties. How that laundry may have gotten dirty is already a stale joke, and we should all be thankful once this travesty is over.
And once it’s over, who’s to say if either Depp or Heard will have careers like they once did? In the case of Heard, her only upcoming role at the moment is returning as Mera in next year’s “Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom.” Now, however, even that role is in minor jeopardy, with Heard alleging her role in the film is “a very pared down version” of what it once was.
During court proceedings for the defamation case, Heard shared that while she reprises her role as Mera in the sequel, Warner Bros. didn’t want her to, and she had to fight to stay in the film. What’s more: each new version of the film’s script she received saw her scenes reduced further and further. The insinuation here, while implicit, is pretty apparent: DC Films and Warner Bros. want to distance themselves from Heard as the trial and its allegations get more and more public.
Here’s the transcript from the court proceedings:
Lawyer: “Have you participated in Aquaman 2?”
Heard: “I have. I fought really hard to stay in the movie. They didn’t want to include me in the film.”
Lawyer: “Were you ultimately able to film in Aquaman 2?”
Heard: “A very pared down version of that role, yes.”
Lawyer: “What if anything changed in the script?”
Heard: “I was given a script. Then given new versions of the script that had taken away scenes that had action in it, that depicted my character and another character, without giving spoilers away, two characters fighting with one another. They basically took a bunch out of my role. They just removed a bunch.”
Heard isn’t the only source of discomfort for DC Extended Universe right now. The superhero franchise also has to reckon with Ezra Miller‘s ongoing legal battles as the film he stars in, “The Flash,” fast approaches its release date next summer. As for Heard’s “Aquaman” sequel? “Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom” hits theaters in ten months, on March 17, 2023. Will the Heard-Depp trial be a fading public memory by then? Let’s hope so.