However, while some are focused on the possible results of the trial and weighing in who’s right or wrong, most are turning their attention elsewhere. Specifically, signing up for the petition to get Amber Heard out of the Aquaman sequel. Less than a month ago, a little over 2.1 million people signed the Change.org petition to remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2. Now, the number has nearly doubled. As per the recent count, 4.1 million fans want Heard out of the upcoming DC Extended Universe film. This is a massive amount of people who don’t want to see Heard on the big screen.
Although the filmmakers mentioned in the past that they do not want to cut Heard as Queen Mera, Warner Bros. Discovery might have no choice but to listen with these many people potentially boycotting the film. Initially, fans created the petition to fire Heard after Warner Bros. recast Johnny Depp’s role in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. However, with the ongoing defamation trial, the online campaign is gaining traction. If James Wan doesn’t drop Heard from the movie, we might see more reshoots and editing in the coming months to at least minimize Heard’s role. Otherwise, as we’ve already mentioned, the DCEU risks losing a lot of revenue. We’ve already seen what the power of audiences can do these days. For example, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore only made $376 million at the global box office against a $200 million budget. Even if this is not a small amount, it is the worst performance for a Harry Potter film. Not to mention, Warner Bros. hasn’t confirmed if a fourth film is in the works, possibly due to the backlash after replacing Johnny Depp. The DCEU is in dire need of a blockbuster win after James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad didn’t do well financially. The good news is that, with 10 months to go before Aquaman 2 will hit theaters on March 17, 2023, James Wan has enough time to sort things out in case Warner Bros. wants to replace Heard. In the meantime, we’ll have to wait for who wins the defamation case in Virginia after both parties give their closing arguments on May 27.
