Warning: SPOILERS for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are ahead! If you haven’t seen one of the final 2023 movie releases yet, feel free to read our non-spoilery Aquaman 2 review first if you’d rather not delve into specific story beats just yet.
When Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry made his full DC Extended Universe debut in 2017’s Justice League following his cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, audiences were also briefly introduced to Amber Heard’s Mera, the Xebellian princess who tried to protect Atlantis’ Mother Box from being taken by Steppenwolf. By 2018, Heard joined Momoa in the spotlight for Aquaman, which went on to become DC’s highest-grossing movie. And yet, as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was being put together, those following along with updates on its progress learned something important: Heard would have a lot less screen time in the sequel.
