The intricate dynamics between Amber Heard and Jason Momoa during the filming of Aquaman 2 have surfaced.
James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, also known as Aquaman 2, premiered last December. However, the production process appears to have been fraught with challenges.
Momoa returned to his leading role as the primary superhero, while Heard reprised her role as Mera for the fourth time.
The release faced controversy amid claims that Warner Bros. considered removing Heard from the sequel due to her high-profile defamation case with ex-husband Johnny Depp.
During the court proceedings, Heard stated: “I fought hard to stay in the movie. They didn’t want to include me in the film. I was given a script and 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 any spoilers away, two characters fighting with one another.”
“They basically took a bunch out of my role,” she continued. “They just removed a bunch.”
Nevertheless, Walter Hamada, the former president of DC Studios, refuted claims that Warner Bros. intentionally cut her scenes from Aquaman 2.
Hamada explained that the consideration to recast Heard’s character was due to a noticeable lack of chemistry with Momoa.
“They didn’t really have a lot of chemistry together,” Hamada stated. “The reality is, it’s not uncommon in movies for two leads to not have chemistry.”
He further mentioned that while a successful on-screen partnership can be achieved through ‘movie magic and editorial’, it often requires a ‘lot of effort to get there’.
Coinciding with Warner Bros. releasing a trailer for their new movie last September, documents from the Depp-Heard trial emerged on Reddit.
According to court documents obtained by Variety, Heard claimed: “Jason said he wanted me fired. Jason drunk — late on set. Dressing like Johnny. Has all the rings too.”
A DC spokesperson countered Heard’s allegations, telling Variety: “Jason Momoa conducted himself in a professional manner at all times on the set of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’.”
An insider who was on the set in 2021 supported this view, telling the outlet: “Jason works his ass off, likes to have a beer once in a while like everyone, but doesn’t show up drunk to set.
“And he isn’t dressing like Johnny Depp. He has always dressed in that bohemian style.”