Amber Heard has finally spoken about reprising her role as Mera in the sequel to Aquaman - a year after she lost the high-profile libel trial against her ex-husband Johnny Depp.
The 37-year-old actress, who reportedly pocketed a cool $2 million for her performance in the original film, spoke about the honor she feels in being part of the DC Extended Universe, while admitting to feeling a "ton of pressure."
In a conversation with Deadline, Heard compared her experience on the Aquaman franchise to that on her latest indie film, In the Fire.
Check out the newly-released trailer for Aquaman 2:The actress explained, "These are very different kinds of projects representing two very different ends of the spectrum in my industry...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."
Further elaborating on the experience, Heard added, "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."
Heard first appeared as the underwater princess Mera in the 2018 Aquaman movie, but her return to the sequel sparked controversy in light of the abuse accusations she leveled against her ex-spouse, Pirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp.
Depp's fans even started a petition demanding that Heard's role be recast, accusing her of a "systematic crusade to ruin Depp in Hollywood".
Following Depp's loss in his defamation lawsuit against News Group Newspapers, which resulted in his ousting from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, the petition amassed millions of signatures.
Heard, however, brushed off the backlash in her interview with Entertainment Weekly, stating, "Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don’t dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality."
Peter Safran, the film’s producer, echoed Heard's sentiments, telling Deadline, "I don’t think we’re ever going to react to, honestly, pure fan pressure. You gotta do what’s best for the movie...You have to do what’s right for the film, and that’s really where we landed on it."
During the court case between Heard and Depp, Heard testified that she "fought really hard to stay in the movie" but that "they didn’t want to include me in the film" and only filmed a "very pared-down version" of her role.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom stars Jason Momoa in the lead role, alongside Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abdul Mateen II, and Temuera Morrison.
Fans of the franchise can look forward to its release this coming December.