Earlier this month, Johnny Depp lost his libel claim against The Sun tabloid, who had alleged that the actor was abusive towards Amber Heard during their marriage. In response, Warner Bros. asked Depp to resign from the FANTASTIC BEASTS franchise in which he played Gellert Grindelwald. As allegations of abusive behaviour have also emerged against Amber Heard, some have called for the actress to be removed from the upcoming AQUAMAN sequel as well. As Aquaman's Mera Amber Heard played a role she also played in JUSTICE LEAGUE and will reprise for Zack Snyder's upcoming JUSTICE LEAGUE director's cut for HBO Max.
Amber Heard recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly to refute the rumours that she wouldn't be returning to Atlantis for the sequel.
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.
"Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don't dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality," Heard added. "Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I'm excited to get started next year." Warner Bros. haven't officially revealed when production on the AQUAMAN sequel will get underway, but it's hard to say anything for certain during this pandemic. Amber Heard will next be seen in CBS All Access' adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel "The Stand." Heard plays Nadine Cross, a pandemic survivor with a dark destiny. The limited-series will debut on CBS All Access on December 17, 2020. As for Johnny Depp, Warner Bros. is quickly moving forward on replacing him in FANTASTIC BEASTS 3 as Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) has been in early talks to step into the role of Grindelwald.
