If you thought that the next courtroom battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard being pushed to 2022 would do anything to dampen the relentless churning of rumors and speculation surrounding the immediate futures of both stars, then you’d be dead wrong. If anything, the volume of conflicting reports has only increased, making it harder than ever to separate fact from fiction.
In the last week alone, we’ve heard that Amber had been fired from Aquaman 2 for failing a physical exam, with Emilia Clarke signed on as her replacement. Shortly after that, however, it was reported that Heard is still on board and the studio is already in the process of rewriting and cutting many of her scenes in the script in an attempt to do some pre-emptive damage control.
As for Depp, he’s allegedly still trying to get his ex-wife booted from the production, although the former Pirates of the Caribbean star has been maintaining a low public profile over the last few months. Not only that, but insider Daniel Richtman is now claiming that the WB hierarchy were pressuring Heard to drop out of Aquaman 2 during the most recent trial, the one that culminated in the studio essentially forcing Depp to quit as Fantastic Beasts 3‘s Grindelwald, much to the ire of his supporters.
Of course, Warner Bros. didn’t and still don’t have any legal grounds on which to give Heard her marching orders, but you can guarantee there’s some concern behind the scenes after the next legal sparring session was delayed. After all, by the time the warring ex-spouses enter the courtroom next year, Aquaman 2 will have more than likely finished shooting and be deep in the post-production process, presenting a potentially sticky situation for the blockbuster DCEU sequel’s December 2022 release.
