Amber Heard 'Excited To Get Started' On 'Aquaman 2' Despite Calls For Her Removal

KEY POINTS

Amber Heard said she is excited to work on "Aquaman 2"
She also suggested that the calls for her removal from the film were "paid rumors and paid campaigns"
This came after her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, was fired from "Fantastic Beasts 3"

Amber Heard is thrilled to be coming back as Mera in “Aquaman 2” amid calls for her to be replaced following ex-husband Johnny Depp's firing from “Fantastic Beasts 3.”

Heard has responded to rumors that she will not be reprising her role in the sequel of James Wan’s masterpiece, telling Entertainment Weekly that she is “excited” to film “Aquaman 2.” The actress also expressed her gratitude to fans who showed love to the 2018 DC Extended Universe film.

“I'm super excited about the amount of fan love and the amount of fan appreciation that 'Aquaman' has acquired and that it has garnered so much excitement for Aquaman and Mera that it means we'll be coming back,” Heard said.

Although Heard has expressed her desire to return as Mera in “Aquaman 2,” the studio has yet to officially give the go-signal. The outlet noted that there is no start date yet and the cast has not been confirmed.

On the mounting calls for her removal from “Aquaman 2,” Heard commented, “Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don't dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality."

"Only the fans actually made ‘Aquaman’ and ‘Aquaman 2’ happen. I'm excited to get started next year," she added.

Her statement came after fans of Depp called for Heard to be replaced in the superhero film after the actor was fired by Warner Bros. from his role in “Fantastic Beasts,” where he played Gellert Grindelwald. The studio’s decision was publicized after the 57-year-old lost his legal battle with the U.K. tabloid The Sun.

Depp sued The Sun after it referred to him as a “wife-beater” in a 2018 article. Although Depp was paid $10 million for the one scene he shot for “Fantastic Beasts 3,” many fans found it unfair that Heard got to keep her role in “Aquaman 2” and “Justice League,” while the actor was asked to resign.

Some fans even put up a petition for Heard’s removal from “Aquaman 2,” which, as of writing, has garnered over 1.1 million signatures.

“As Amber Heard is a known and proven domestic abuser, Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment should and must remove Heard from their Aquaman 2 film project. They must not ignore the suffering of Heard's victims, and must not glamorize a domestic abuser,” the petition read.