Amber Heard's Return for 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' Shown in First Footage
The first footage of the highly-anticipated Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was previewed at 2023 CinemaCon. The film will be released in theaters later this year. Thus far, only a few snippets of the sequel's footage have been released to the public. During Warner Bros. Pictures' panel at the CinemaCon, audiences were treated to some brand-new footage for the film that showed Amber Heard's return. ComicBook.com was in attendance and was able to witness the exclusive footage and an official description of the film. Fans will see the return of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Randall Park as Stephen Shin.
In the clip shown, it's described as: "Footage plays, seeing Arthur raising a baby and talking to his father about it. In the full Aquaman suit, he fights underwater. He wrestles with giant anchors. He can "feel the tides shifting," despite having supposed to be a king. A dark entity is destroying the surface world and attacking humans. It has long black tendrils. On Earth, a black plague is attacking people in town squares. Black Manta is trying to push it forward. Arthur talks to Orm and has to team up with him. Orm refuses to be called brother. Together, still, they fight Manta. Manta has the Black Trident with a power that "comes from a great evil." The lighthouse home is destroyed. Manta wreaks havoc. Arthur and Orm explore land and knock down statues to build bridges. They are reluctant in their work together. Nicole Kidman is back and involved directly in the action scenes. Ultimately, Orm encourages Arthur to lead. Mera is shown momentarily. Armies are going to war."
Initially, Warner Bros. Pictures planned to release the film on Christmas Day. The film has since been moved to a release date of Wednesday, Dec. 20.
The film's release comes after Heard's highly publicized defamation trial with her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. The Pirates of the Caribbean star sued his ex after she released an op-ed in 2018 in The Washington Post detailing the abuse she experienced in the relationship. Though she didn't mention Depp by name, she previously alleged he was her abuser. Depp claimed she breached a contract signed in the split.
During the televised trial, both hurled abuse allegations toward one another. Depp ultimately won the suit.