The DC Universe has had countless peaks and valleys since it burst onto the scene with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. During its early years, James Wan’s Aquaman seemed to prove what the franchise was capable of, as it was a critical and box office success. The long-awaited sequel The Lost Kingdom will arrive this December, and it’s coming after the disappointing financial performance of projects like Black Adam and The Flash. And Mera actress Amber Heard recently spoke about the “pressure” of Aquaman 2’s release in the midst of a few DC missteps.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was filmed back in 2021, with Heard reprising her role as the superpowered heroine Mera. The project’s release has been delayed a number of times, and now it’s set to arrive for the Holiday Season. There have been rumors about Mera’s reduced role, although it’s unclear if they’re actually true or not. Heard recently spoke to Deadline about the DC sequel arriving after a few box office bombs, offering:
There’s a ton of pressure on these big franchise movies, with millions and millions of dollars at stake, and compromises are part of trying to make it the most successful thing it can be. Then on the other end of the spectrum is a small indie film like In The Fire, a work of art and work of love, with nowhere near the same resources, and so there are compromises there. The best luck you can have as an actor is to be able to balance both.
She’s not wrong. The film industry is a huge financial gamble, even for the smallest project. But the pressure to deliver a box office hit is much higher in superhero projects like Aquaman 2. After all, the DC flick has a reported budget of over $200 million. We’ll just have to see if folks turn out and see Jason Momoa-led film once it hits theaters in the winter.
Heard’s comments about Aquaman 2 come as she’s promoting her new movie In The Fire, which is set to debut at Taormina Film Festival. Eventually the conversation turned to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is hitting theaters after the previous two DC flicks failed to live up to box office expectations. Later in that same conversation she spoke abou thow “honored” she is to have her ongoing DC role, sharing:
Aquaman, that franchise and the machinery behind it, I’m very honored, honored to be a part of that. And then there are these small passion projects like In The Fire, where I’m proud to have gotten to know the filmmaker and the cast, and we got dirty together, to breathe life into this story. There’s something cool about that, and I think success is an actor who is able to have both those things.
Amber Heard debuted as Mera back in the theatrical version of Justice League, before her character was expanded in the first Aquaman. After filing the upcmoing sequel, she also reprised her signature role in reshoots for Zack Snyder’s Justice League. We’ll just have to see if Mera continues to be part of the DC Universe now that new co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are making changes to the franchise.
Despite a year passing since the defamation verdict was released, Amber Heard’s name largely remains synonymous with her long legal battle with ex Johnny Depp. The court of public opinion came down hard on the 37 year-old actress, and it should be interesting to see if/how this affects the movie’s box office performance.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will hit theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
