After various publications stated that Amber Heard’s involvement in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom had been cut, fans of the DC Extended Universe had conflicting responses. Mera will only have fewer than 10 minutes of screen time in the sequel, according to sources, but the explanation for this stunning development has yet to be revealed.
Many fans have been urging Warner Bros. and DC Films to remove the 36-year-old actress from the DCEU for years, and while the powers that be have yet to act despite Amber‘s high-profile court fight with Johnny Depp, the public’s opinion of her isn’t likely to alter anytime soon.

This is why many feel Amber should be replaced if DC Films aims to continue Mera’s presence in the Aquaman trilogy after the sequel. Of course, most of you already know Emilia Clarke is the front-runner to replace her.
However, it appears like the Game of Thrones alumnus will have stiff competition from Blake Lively. In fact, a petition on Change.org suggests that the 34-year-old actress would make an excellent Queen of Atlantis. Currently, over 7,700 people have signed the petition.
Lively is no new to the realm of superhero movies; as you may recall, she played alongside Ryan Reynolds in the polarizing Green Lantern film.
Fun fact: it was that movie that their romance flourished.

With speculations that Warner Bros. is going to reduce Amber‘s involvement in Aquaman 2, it’s reasonable to assume that the character will be written off, and Mera may not even exist after the film.
Although I doubt this will happen, with The Flash supposedly scheduled to reboot the DCEU, it would be the ideal opportunity to conduct a soft reboot of the Aquaman series, allowing someone else to take over the Mera mantle.
The theatrical premiere of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been pushed back to March 17, 2023.