Aside from plot, design, score and set, there is one undeniable factor that shapes a movie: the actors.

An actor, while immersed in the story of a movie, is inextricably linked to their public perception. This tension between conflicts in the real world with the creation of a fictional world emerges clearly in the upcoming movie “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” The movie, set to be released on December 20, faces these divides with one of its actors, Amber Heard.

Between Heard’s role in the first movie in 2018 and her role in the upcoming sequel, she has changed and the world’s view of her has changed, largely due to public scrutiny surrounding her highly televised court case with Johnny Depp. But what are the consequences of these changes on the fictional world she occupies, a supposed escape from reality?

The movie, already costing DC Comics $205 million, stars Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Patrick Wilson as Aquaman’s half-brother, Orm, on their quest to defeat a villain that aims to destroy their homeland and loved ones in Atlantis. Yet, the actor that has been the center of debate is Heard, starring as Mera (Aquaman’s lover) though in a much smaller role than the original movie. This movie is monumental because Heard has not acted notably since her court case against her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, which took place from April to June of 2021.

Heard also talked about her role in the movie during the trial, claiming that large parts of her role in the script were cut out, even almost cut out entirely due to the media coverage surrounding her and Depp. However, in response, director James Wan said that the premise of the sequel
was always meant to focus on the relationship between Aquaman and his brother instead of Aquaman and his love interest. The plot, instead of a large focus on Mera, aims to give viewers more about the past of Aquaman and how it has informed his character arc. Wan also cited the difficult chemistry between Heard and Momoa in the movie, requiring much post-production work.

Since the end of the trial, Heard has been hidden in many of the trailers, with her appearing for only around two seconds in one of them. With public opinion heavily leaning towards Depp’s side in the trial, people have suspected that this is due to the production company’s attempts to remove itself from the controversy, even if the company can rebut that she plays a small role in the movie. Despite the company’s attempts to separate its actions from any motives rooted in the trial, backlash is still prevalent and has been long-standing. For example, a petition in March of 2019 was created to “Remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2.” As of November 7, the petition had more than 4.6 million signatures.

Some fans have even said that they won’t watch the movie because they are offended that Heard would be rehired after being found guilty in her trial.

“I think Amber Heard handled the situation very immaturely. Therefore, she should not
have the fan base she once had before,” said Lindsay Parkhill (‘24).

The first Aquaman movie was hugely successful, making over $1 billion; it is the highest grossing DC movie ever made. As social media discourse alludes to, the sequel is predicted to be less successful, as many fans plan to boycott it.

In all, the lines between the world of fiction and reality are blurred. Many fans, as evidenced, cannot remove the actions of an actor from the imaginative role they take on.

The consequences are clear: no fictional world can exist, or can only exist in a greatly different fashion, without acknowledging the truths in the real world that creates it.