Amber Heard Reportedly Fired From 'Aquaman' (& It Has Nothing to Do With Depp!)

For the past year or so, Pirates of the Caribbean Captain Jack Sparrow actor, Johnny Depp, and his ex-wife, Amber Heard, have gotten more than their fair share of negative press.

Following a report that he had allegedly abused Heard on multiple occasions, Depp filed a lawsuit against U.K. News Group Newspaper publication, The Sun, purporting that he was never the instigator of any domestic violence. He lost the lawsuit in November 2020, but an appeal is expected.

It is worth noting that two of Depp’s former parters, Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis, both supported the actor throughout the libel case.

Depp’s lawyer and the actor himself continue to claim there was never any spousal abuse, while Heard and her camp allege that she was held “hostage” in Australia during the filming of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, among other things.

Depp — whose finger was cut off during an argument at one point in the tumultuous relationship — has been blacklisted by many of the movie studios who previously worked with him.

Walt Disney Studios has reportedly replaced him with Margot Robbie in the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean 6 project. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts franchise recast Gellert Grindelwald with Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) after the libel trial ended.

Many of Johnny Depp’s fans believe that Heard should face the same industry backlash. A petition for her to be fired from Warner Bros.’ film adaptations of DC Comics’ Aquaman franchise has garnered wide support, with nearly two million signatures.

Now, as Yahoo! News shared, Heard has reportedly been let go from her role as Mera — but not for the reasons you probably think:

…the petition or the libel might not be the reason for Amber’s exit from the film, it has been learned that she indeed has been fired from the film. Reports suggest that Amber gained a little weight before the commencement of the shoot and the makers are not keen on continuing to work with her. Not just that, it is being said that Emilia Clarke who I known popularly for her role as Daenerys Targaryen from Game Of Thrones is all set to replace her. Amber essayed the character of Mera in the Jason Mamoa starrer. A source told Australian site Sausage Roll, “Amber Heard did not pass her physical examination. She’s put on some pounds and is in terrible shape. There is a clause in her contract which says she is required to be in good form ahead of shooting and she violated that.”

At this time, Warner Bros. has not confirmed Heard’s exit from the Aquaman 2 movie. Per IMDb, Heard also played Mera in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which recently finished filming.

For Depp’s part, the actor’s best hope for a career revival is likely to be longtime friend and professional partner, Tim Burton. The director has cast Depp in numerous projects over the years. Burton is currently working on Beetlejuice 2 and an Addams Family TV adaptation — Depp’s name has been connected to both projects.

What do you think about Amber Heard’s reported exit from Aquaman? Have you followed Johnny Depp’s libel case?