Amber Heard almost had a different look in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom! New concept art reveals two alternate designs for Mera’s Aquaman sequel look.
Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom was a rough landing for the old DC Universe. The film came off a historic Hollywood strike, the announcement of a reboot by James Gunn and Peter Safran, and was marred by controversy surrounding the involvement of Amber Heard as Mera. Despite struggling at the box office, the film was fun, boasting some of the best costume designs in recent comic book movies.
New concept art reveals Amber Heard could have had one of the most striking designs yet as Mera. Revealed by costume concept illustrator Darrell Warner, DC fans get a look at two potential costumes that didn’t make it into the final cut of Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. One is a beautiful rainbow take on her classic suit while the other focuses more on her regal nature as queen.
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The controversy around Amber Heard’s involvement started during her messy divorce trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp. The very online nature of the trial led to many people on social media calling for her to be cut as Mera from Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom and recast for the DC Universe.
Amber Heard did ultimately return as Mera for Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, though in a severely reduced role compared to the first movie. According to director James Wan, he never planned for Mera to have a large role in the sequel, wanting to focus on a story between the brothers Arthur Curry and Orm.
However, it seems not everyone on the cast of Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom shares James Wan’s recollection of events. Nereus actor Dolph Lundgren claims both he and Amber Heard had bigger roles in the original script, but were ultimately cut down during reshoots.
Regardless of where fans land on how large of a role Amber Heard should have had as Mera in the DC Universe, it’s clear Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom will be her last time in the role. James Gunn and Peter Safran are set to fully recast the Justice League for their rebooted universe, so it’s unlikely any of their supporting cast will be sticking around.
Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom is now streaming on Max. The film stars Amber Heard as Mera, Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, and Patrick Wilson as Orm. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
