Warner Bros. have found themselves in the midst of a very sticky situation by asking Johnny Depp to resign from the role of Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, although the actor is being well compensated for his efforts after picking up his entire eight-figure salary despite filming just one scene. The studio have moved quickly to try and stem the tide of negativity towards their decision, though, by entering talks with the hugely popular Mads Mikkelsen, one of the few actors that fans are likely to welcome as a replacement.
However, now that Depp is officially gone from Fantastic Beasts as shooting continues at pace, the ire has turned directly towards Amber Heard. Folks are not only threatening to boycott the third entry in the Wizarding World prequel series, but they’re also calling for people to actively avoid Aquaman 2 due to Heard’s presence as female lead Mera.
The petition to have her fired continues to gather signatures at a rapid rate, and the executives at Warner Bros. now face some behind the scenes deliberation on how to proceed. According to tipster Mikey Sutton, the studio are most definitely worried about the controversy swirling around the sequel to the highest-grossing DC Comics adaptation ever made, but as of yet, they don’t have the grounds to dismiss the 34 year-old actress.
“An insider told me that, since the judge believed that The Sun’s allegations of Depp as a wife beater were accurate, Heard is seen as the victim in this scandal by WB,” says Sutton. “Consequently, firing her would be in poor taste and could cause a backlash.”
A judge delivered a verdict naming Depp as the loser in his libel battle against a British tabloid, but so far, the only cause they have to fire his ex-wife is a sustained social media campaign. There’s been no shortage of damning evidence produced in the courtroom, but with the warring former couple still in the midst of suing each other for defamation, Heard will probably remain onboard Aquaman 2 at least until the next trial draws to a close.
