The Big Picture

• Amber Heard's character Mera is significantly minimized in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
• Mera's presence is reduced through limited screen time and displaced focus on other characters like Orm and Atlanna.
• While sidelining Mera helps the film avoid complications, it's a disservice to the character and creates noticeable gaps in the story.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom marks the end of the DCEU, closing a turbulent chapter for the studio. Yet even this conclusion is full of controversy, most notable because of the inclusion of Amber Heard. The actress appeared in the original Aquaman in 2018, playing Mera, an accomplished sorceress and love interest of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa). During the film, she partners with Arthur, finding him and encouraging him to challenge his brother and win the Atlantian throne. Mera fills a primary role in the first film, so with Heard involved in a scandal and unpopular with the public, the sequel had to adjust. The character had the potential to become more important as she is married to the title character and the mother of his son, but due to the outside issues, that didn't happen. Many people expected Amber Heard to be removed from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom by either removing the character from the story or recasting, yet the film took another approach.

Instead of writing her out or finding another actress, the sequel minimized Heard's part, giving her maybe 20 minutes of screen time. This is a huge step down from her part in the first Aquaman film, but even so, it was more than expected. The moments that seem meant for Mera are divided up among other characters, giving them larger roles in place of the Queen of Atlantis. Even when Mera is there, the film highlights other cast members, giving her a backseat. Though this solution largely removes the problematic stress from the film without forcing the film to recast, it does a disservice to the character. As the story follows her husband and features the kidnapping of her son, Mera's absence seems odd at times, yet the film makes it work for the most part.

How Big of a Role Does Amber Heard's Mera Have in 'Aquaman 2'?

As the lead character's wife, Mera could fit in most of the story, but as it is, she is sprinkled in when necessary. Technically, Mera appears in the entire film, but sparingly. Some of Mera's limited appearances are flashbacks to the first film, as Arthur's narration sets up the events leading to the plot. She can also be seen giving birth to and caring for her son. But Mera's most significant appearances are her confrontation with Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and the climactic fight sequence where she participates in the rescue of Arthur Jr. In the first, she is injured by the enemy, causing Arthur to take action against Manta at the risk of disobeying the council. In the second, she saves her son, but due to the size of the rescue party, she receives little attention in the battle.

Her appearances are mostly at the beginning and end of the film, but even when she's on-screen, she speaks little. Basically, Mera is relegated to a background role rather than a lead, as she is in the original Aquaman. Though understandable given the situation, it does a disservice to the character, who could have been an interesting part. Minimizing Heard's involvement forces Mera to be uninvolved in a major crisis for Atlantis and her family, which does not fit with her previous characterization. Though the film works with the half-hearted removal of the character, Mera deserves better, even if Heard does not.

Is 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's Solution Effective?

Rather than giving a quick excuse for Mera to be traveling or recasting the character altogether, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's half-measure of mostly removing Mera could have been a natural solution for the problem. And to an extent, it is. For a large portion of the film, Aquaman and Orm are separated from the other characters on a specific mission, making Mera's presence unnecessary. This effectively writes out Mera for most of the film without her absence being notable. The result is a story of brotherly bonding as Orm (Patrick Wilson) joins Arthur on the mission to save Atlantis and gets a redemption arc, which takes much of the film's focus. Because of this unlikely partnership, the story becomes more about Arthur's relationship with his brother than his new family, making Orm and Arthur's mother, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), take precedence over Mera.

With a large portion of the story taking place elsewhere, it's easy to forget about Mera for long sections. Although the first film established her as an interesting character, enough is going on in the sequel that doesn't involve her. However, when the story takes Aquaman back to Atlantis, it seems odd that she doesn't have more of a part. As the Queen and Arthur's wife, Mera should be present in more of the film, and sometimes, the attempt to write her out is clumsy. When Arthur embarks on a mission to locate his and Mera's kidnapped baby, Atlanna sends him off, rather than the child's mother, who would be a more natural choice for that part.

Though sidelining Mera is unfortunate for her, it gives other characters a chance to take the spotlight, specifically Arthur's parents. This works, but there are many scenes that seem meant to include Mera. Arthur's dad, Tom (Temuera Morrison), is featured in several family-oriented scenes as Arthur bonds with his son; it's Tom who brings up Arthur and Mera having a second child and who witnesses Arthur Jr.'s powers developing. Atlanna, on the other hand, becomes the character with a knowledge of Atlantian customs, a role that Mera filled in the first film. She introduces Aquaman to Topo, sends Arthur to find Orm, and even takes the lead in the chase when Black Manta attacks, all of which would have been a fitting role for Mera. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom works without Mera, but her occasional appearances bring attention to the parts where she is missing. The film would have been better served to remove her entirely, or better yet, recast, which could have been explained as one of the changes to the universe after The Flash.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is now available to watch on Max in the U.S.

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