Aquaman 2 rumors have the internet suggesting Johnny Depp replace Amber Heard as Mera with a truly bizarre deepfake video. Due to the ongoing legal drama between Depp and Heard, many of Depp’s fans have called for Heard to be fired from her role in the upcoming DC sequel. Recently, there have been rumors swirling of Warner Bros. eyeing Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke potentially replacing Heard in the movie, though none of this has been confirmed by anyone officially involved.
In any case, the rumors have gotten a lot of people talking on social media. Though Clarke is clearly a very popular choice with fans as a possible Heard replacement, another fan had a much more entertaining suggestion in mind. Writing that Depp should replace Heard in Aquaman 2, the fan posted a deepfake video that does just that, digitally imposing Depp’s face onto Heard’s body for some shared scenes with Jason Momoa.
Johnny Depp should replace Amber Heard in Aquaman 2. pic.twitter.com/ionZO5EowO
— Eddie Pozos (@EddiePozos_) February 26, 2021
This all stems from the tumultuous, short-lived relationship between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. After the two divorced, Heard alleged that she had been the victim of domestic abuse. The ensuing fallout resulted in Disney canning Depp from his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, this according to the actor himself. The ongoing controversy would later result in Depp losing his job as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3, another lucrative franchise role.
As Depp and Heard took their arguments to the courtroom, Depp’s lawyers had released audio of Heard that seems to have heavily damaged her case. Heard can allegedly be heard admitting to being violent toward Depp in the audio at one point, lending credence to Depp’s version of events. This ignited the #JusticeForJohnnyDepp campaign on social media with fans of the actor demanding Heard be fired from Aquaman 2, as it was only fair given what happened with Johnny’s big roles.
So many people have gotten aboard the #JusticeForJohnnyDepp campaign that nearly two million people have signed a petition to have Heard fired from Aquaman 2. The petition description reads: “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.”
Even Animaniacs came under fire for a joke that seemingly mocked Depp, featuring the actor on a fictional movie poster for a movie called Telling Lies. It was later explained by voice actor Rob Paulsen that the gag was referring to a popular internet meme from 2018 when the episode was written. This appeased Depp fans who weren’t happy with the Animaniacs joke, but with Depp still out of his jobs and Heard still attached to Aquaman 2, many feel that justice still haven’t happened.
Last year, Heard said that she was looking forward to playing the role of Mera again when Aquaman 2 starts filming in 2021. A release date for the sequel has been set for Dec. 16, 2022.