Zack Snyder’s Justice League hit HBO Max last week, and many fans were surprised to see Amber Heard in the movie. Heard plays Mera, the Atlantean love interest of Aquaman (Jason Momoa), though some forgot that she made appearances in this movie. Considering the scandals and allegations between Heard and her ex-husband Johnny Depp, many viewers thought that Heard should have been removed.
“The Snyder Cut” is a 4-hour director’s cut version of Justice League, which came out in 2017. At the time, Snyder’s daughter had just passed away and he had to step down from the project, and ever since fans have lamented the squandered potential of the theatrical version. However, many things have changed in those four years, including the public perception of Heard’s ill-fated marriage to Depp. The two have been in legal battles ever since their 2017 divorce over alleged abuse between them, and fans have strong feelings on who is guilty of what.
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Zack Snyder: Go out there and play a British Mermaid
Amber Heard: Does just that
Y’all: https://t.co/KGOADu5CYj
โ JohnFcknStewart ๐ฏ๐ฒ (New) (@JohnFknStewart) March 22, 2021
When she filed for divorce, Heard claimed that Depp had been verbally and physically abusive to her, citing his use of drugs and alcohol as a contributing factor. However, Depp would later claim that Heard was the one who abused him. He produced little evidence to support this claim, and that argument ultimately fell flat in court, according to a report by Variety. Heard maintains that Depp was abusive and she was not.
Nonetheless, Depp’s die-hard fans continue to defend him and go after Heard as vocally as possible on social media. They often call for Heard to lose her blockbuster roles as Depp lost his role in the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts franchise. Scroll down to see how Heard’s appearance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League upset these fans.
Forgot
Forgot Amber Heard was in Justice League, damn! Was hoping Snyder would have cut her right out!!!!!!!
โ Darrel Draper (@ThemeanDoubleD) March 19, 2021
Them amber heard mera stans saw 30 seconds of her in the Snyder cut with a bad accent and literally doing this ๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฌ in her scenes and said โOMG NO ONE CAN DO IT BETTER THAN HER BEST ACTORโ! Girl literally any woman actor can do it better. pic.twitter.com/I0goUXI4fg
โ Lia ใ (@kyLauvly) March 21, 2021
Many fans were taken off guard by Heard in Justice League, since her role was so small that they had forgotten she would be in the movie. They wondered why Snyder couldn’t have simply cut her out of the movie altogether, perhaps shaving the 4-hour runtime down a bit.
Comparison
every time I see amber heard on the new justice league snyder cut, it makes me think about how Johnny lost all his roles and she gained everything from lying about abuse
โ virgo. (@nyseyabrown) March 19, 2021
Many fans used this occasion to compare Depp’s treatment in Hollywood to Heard’s since their split and scandal. They believed that Heard should have lost her role in the DC Extended Universe just as Depp stepped down from the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Replacable
watching amber heard play mera in the snyder cut was simply a reminder that she is completely replacable at any time โค๏ธ
โ kier (@bubbIinewarrior) March 19, 2021
Why couldnโt Zack Snyder just cut Amber Heard out of the movie completely?
โ Needlepoint Girl (@KristinePool) March 18, 2021
Heard’s character was so inconsequential to this storyline that many fans questioned why she had even been in it at all. To the extend that her character played a role in the action, they argued that she could have been replaced with another actor or another character easily.
Symbolic Support
Watching Amber heard
โ Steve Maximoff โ pinnedโโโโจ (@wandazlich) March 18, 2021
Snyder Cut appears pic.twitter.com/X0MMBWqPvk
Watching the Snyder cut. Booing every time amber heard is on screen. pic.twitter.com/1iGkXF4qJc
โ Aj ๐น (@torch_93) March 22, 2021
Many of Depp’s fans joked that they were taking symbolic actions to denounce Heard in the privacy of their own living rooms, even if they could not resist watching the movie itself.
Vindicated
The only thing wrong about the Snyder Cut is Amber Heard
โ (ใฃโโกโ)ใฃ โ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ค (@PaoloRoslinda) March 21, 2021
Like other DCEU fans, many of Depp’s supporters remarked on how much more they liked the Snyder Cut than the theatrical version, taking time to specify that they still did not support Heard.
Money
It was like watching Batman V Superman ultimate edition. The Darkseid scenes were amazing. the New God movie will be focusing on Darkseid as the main villain. This movie was a redemption for Snyder and nothing else. Was not happy to see Amber Heard, but money talk I guess.
โ Vendetta (@Eman419Boyd) March 19, 2021
Most critics assumed that some kind of contract had kept Heard in the movie, or else that her star power had made her essential from a studio perspective. They hoped that would change soon, if others begin to accept the controversial narrative about abuse between the couple.
New Cut
The Justice League Snyder cut except this time Amber Heard is also cut from the film
โ Kyle Cooper (@thekylecoop) March 18, 2021
Finally, many viewers joked that Justice League might as well be re-cut for a third time, this time just to remove Heard. Judging by the latest statements from Warner Bros., that will not be happening.
