Aquaman producer breaks silence on Amber Heard returning to the franchise

On July 31, Peter Safran, the producer of Aquaman 2 opened up about Amber Heard reprising her role in the sequel to the 2018 film Aquaman. Safran responded to the mounting social media pressure for the removal of Heard amidst the ongoing legal battles between her and her ex-husband Johnny Depp on account of alleged domestic violence. 

Safran appeared on Deadline’s Hero Podcast and said that they were not going to react purely based on fan pressure and will do what is best for the upcoming movie. “We felt that if it’s James Wan and Jason Momoa, it should be Amber Heard,” he added.

Saffran further added that one knows what is going on in the Twitter verse. “But that doesn’t mean you have to react to it or take it as gospel or accede to their wishes.” The producer restated that they have to do right by the film.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly last November, Heard had described the protests against her by Depp fans stating that paid rumours and paid campaigns on social media don’t dictate the casting choices since they have no basis in reality. She added, “Only the fans made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I’m excited to get started next year.”

The social media campaign gained momentum after Warner Bros. dropped Depp from reprising his role in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sequel. Mads Mikkelsen will be taking over as Gellert Grindelwald. The #JusticeForJohnnyDepp reignited after the director announced the resumption of production for Aquaman 2. Supporters of Depp wanted the same to be done for Heard, that is, dropped from the upcoming sequel. 

Heard essays the role of an aquatic warrior, Mera, alongside Jason Momoa. 

Aquaman is currently streaming on Netflix with its sequel slated to release in October 2022.