Amber Heard officially returns to 'Aquaman'

It's official, Amber Heard will reprise the role of Mera in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. There were many rumors about the actress's return to the saga, after the media scandal surrounding her trial with her ex-husband Johnny Depp.

The controversy surrounding the legal dispute was resulted in several media outlets reporting that Warner Bros. Pictures had fired Heard. Variety denied these reports but would not confirm if the actress would indeed return to the sequel. It was at Cinema Con 2023 where DC Studios confirmed that Heard will return to play Mera.

The film will be released on December 20, 2023, and its cast is composed of: Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry; Patrick Wilson as King Orm; Nicole Kidman as Atlanna; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta; Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry and Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, among others.

The most watched trial in the U.S.

Last year, Depp sued Heard for defamation because of an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018 in which she described herself as "a public figure who represents domestic abuse."

The trial between Heard and Depp became one of the most viewed legal battles in the U.S. The outrageous revelations made in court affected both artists' public images. Not only did they lose millions of followers, but their Hollywood careers also suffered.

During the hearings, fans took sides. At the time, many came out against Amber, and more than 4 million people signed a petition created by Change.org to have the actress fired.

After six weeks, Heard lost the trial and was ordered to pay Depp $15 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Subsequently, the actress decided to step away from the camera and put her career on hold, until now.

Reactions to Heard's return

On social media, reactions to her return have been very divided. Many are happy that Heard is being treated in the same way as Depp, who has been considered by several production companies for new projects, while others are upset with DC and Warner for not penalizing Amber and are calling for a boycott of the film.