It seems like Amber Heard’s new movie is in troubled waters.

Credit: Warner Bros.

Following the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) last year, notable changes took place within the organization, leading to the replacement of Walter Hamada, the former head of DC. As a consequence, WBD brought on board James Gunn, the acclaimed director known for his contributions to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Subsequently, Gunn was appointed as the new head of DC Studios, and he now shares leadership responsibilities with Peter Safran.

Credit: Inside the Magic

It’s important to mention that Gunn had previous involvement in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which has since been rebranded as the DC Universe (DCU). He directed films such as The Suicide Squad (2021), which notably set it apart from the earlier Suicide Squad (2016) featuring Jared Leto as the Joker. At present, DC Studios is said to be undertaking a wholly distinctive venture, one that appears to be markedly different from the offerings of Marvel Studios.

Credit: Inside the Magic

With DC Studios scrapping pretty much the entire DCEU for Gunn’s new DCU, and the elimination of director Zack Snyder’s Justice League franchise AKA the “Snyderverse”, there is one last DCEU film to come out following The Flash (2023) starring Ezra Miller as The Flash/Barry Allen, Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) with Zachary Levi as Billy Batson/Shazam and Rachel Zegler as Anthea, and most recent Blue Beetle (2023) with Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle. Unfortunately, it seems like its debut looks to be shrouded in controversy.

Lingering Effects: The Depp-Heard Controversy

Credit: Warner Bros./Disney

In 2016, widely covered and contentious legal disputes emerged between celebrated actor Johnny Depp and his former partner, actress Amber Heard. The disputes began when Heard filed for divorce from Depp, leveling accusations of domestic abuse against him. This sparked a sequence of legal actions and claims from both individuals, with Depp strongly refuting the allegations, culminating in a defamation lawsuit. The legal conflicts encompassed court cases, restraining orders, leaked recordings, and public declarations, all amidst a thoroughly documented defamation trial, causing a media sensation and resulting in a split in public perspectives.

Credit: Inside the Magic

Although Depp was dismissed from his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, film actress Heard retained her role as the Atlantean Princess Mera in the Aquaman movie franchise alongside Jason Mamoa as the titular Aquaman/Arthur Curry.

Fans Shocked at Aquaman 2 Studio Neglect

Credit: Warner Bros.

Now, it appears that fans themselves are finally putting the pieces together — as the radio silence on Warner Bros.’ part has resulted in some speculation from the public.

Recent news came to light that director James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was not actually delayed to 2024 amid the Hollywood Writer’s Guild America (WGA) or SAG-AFTRA actor’s strikes, but scheduled to proceed to a Christmas 2023 debut. Responding to this, user @CanWeGetSomeToast shared their incredulity at Twitter (X) user MyTimeToShineHello’s realization — that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom that the second Aquaman movie was in fact coming out in three months (or four, if you really count):

Aquaman 2 is coming out in THREE MONTHS?!?!

Aquaman 2 is coming out in THREE MONTHS?!?! https://t.co/UzP4Xn9Byt

— CanWeGetSomeToast (@CanWeGetToast) August 27, 2023

This was in response to the following original post from user MyTimeToShineHello. Quoting One Take News’ tweet about the only DC Studios film “without a trailer or any kind of marketing”, MyTimeToShineHello started a discussion about how it seemed like Warner Bros. was “truly broke” after their recent flops, resulting in the lack of any promotion for the upcoming Amber Heard and Jason Momoa-led movie:

MyTimeToShineHello: I was gonna say there’s still plenty of time but then I realized it’s coming out in 3 MONTHS. WB is truly broke like WTF

One Take News: Warner Bros. has three films coming out in December 2023. Of those three films, ‘AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM’ is the only one without a trailer or any kind of marketing. When do you think the marketing will start?

I was gonna say there's still plenty of time but then I realized it's coming out in 3 MONTHS. WB is truly broke like WTF https://t.co/7nJ4qFr4Wi

— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) August 27, 2023

Could this be a case of WBD cutting their losses with a film in a “dead” franchise? Or is this in part influenced by the fact that the film will likely receive hate from a likely not-insignificant portion of DC fans and general audiences alike due to its controversial star? Perhaps this boils down to a lack of marketing funds after the studio’s recent fumbles.

Whether we start to see trailers and promo in the near future is a little bit of a mystery — as will exactly how well the second Aquaman does at the box office.

What do you think about Warner Bros. totally ignoring Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom? Why do you think this is happening? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

More on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom:

After facing delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and post-production challenges, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is slated for release on December 20, 2023. The film’s storyline revolves around Aquaman’s efforts to safeguard Atlantis from ancient power-induced devastation. The cast includes Jason Momoa as Atlantis’ Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Amber Heard as Princess Mera, s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed in water manipulation and telepathic communication with Atlanteans; Patrick Wilson as Orm Marius, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus of Xebel, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, seeking vengeance against Aquaman, Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna. Other notable cast members include Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin, Vincent Regan as Atlan, Jani Zhao as Stingray, Indya Moore as Karshon, and Pilou Asbæk in an undisclosed role.

More on the DC Universe:

The DC Universe (or DCU) is owned by Warner Bros Discovery, and originally termed the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Previously, the DCEU was more or less helmed by Zack Snyder, whose popular “Snyderverse” Justice League (2017) had its fair share of fans. Finished by Marvel alum Joss Whedon, which consists of Superman/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman/Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), The Flash/Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg/Victor Stone (Ray Fisher). The DCU is now run by ex-Marvel director James Gunn, writer and director of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, in conjunction with Peter Safran. Based on the DC Comic world, the new reboot of the DC Universe under Gunn is set about to begin, with anything from the comic books — everything from Superman (and upcoming Superman Legacy), to Lex Luthor, and even the Green Lantern, or Black Adam — about to be reshaped for the new DCU.