Petition for Emilia Clarke to replace Amber Heard as Mera in Aquaman 2 receives thousands of signatures, post stunning Deepfake video reveal

Emilia Clarke as Mera in fan art, and Amber Heard as Mera in Aquaman (2018). (Image via: Twitter/DCUnited, and Warner Bros.)
Emilia Clarke as Mera in fan art, and Amber Heard as Mera in Aquaman (2018). (Image via: Twitter/DCUnited, and Warner Bros.)

Emilia Clarke has been a fan-favorite choice for Mera since early 2020, and in June 2021, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan shared that the film has begun production.

The news has faced severe backlash on Twitter because Amber Heard is reprising her role as Mera (the love interest of Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman) in the sequel.

Amber Heard has been the subject of controversy due to her alleged domestic abuse case with Johnny Depp. Tweets about boycotting the film have been constant since 2020, with multiple petitions to replace Amber Heard as Mera.

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The controversy began when the 35-year-old Amber Heard alleged that the Pirates of the Caribbean star abused and assaulted her. This was followed by a long and ongoing lawsuit which resulted in Depp losing out on several significant roles in multiple franchises.

However, in January 2020, phone recordings were released where Amber Heard admitted to “hitting” Johnny. This enraged fans as they called out the double-standards of Warner Bros. who replaced Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3.


Campaign for Emilia Clarke to replace Amber Heard as Mera in Aquaman 2 gains traction with new fan art and deepfake video

In July 2021, the fan campaigns for replacing Amber Heard as Mera got new traction as YouTuber Stryder HD uploaded a realistic ‘deep fake’ video of Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke as Mera.

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As a result of the attention received by the video, a Change.org petition requesting that Emilia Clarke replace Amber Heard as Mera gained more support.

The petition received more than 20,000 signatures. (Image via Change.org)
The petition received more than 20,000 signatures. (Image via Change.org)

This further resulted in new Twitter chatter from fans supporting the need for Clarke to replace Heard.


Here are some of the best fan-made concept art portraying Emilia Clarke as Mera:

Last week, the Me Before You (2016) star confirmed to Jimmy Fallon (on his talk show) that she is in the upcoming Marvel Disney+ show, Secret Invasion. This could lead to a potential scheduling conflict if Warner Bros. decides to recast Mera with Emilia Clarke, as she would have to divide time between the series and the Aquaman sequel.

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The four-time Emmy nominated star would also be perfect for the role of Mera, as she is friends with Aquaman star Jason Momoa, who was also her co-star in Game of Thrones.

Despite these fan petitions and Twitter uproar, Emilia Clarke has not yet been cast as Mera. Moreover, as the Aquaman sequel goes further into production, chances are slim for the 34-year old actress’ inclusion.

However, Johnny Depp supporters and DC fans have some hope as they potentially have the leverage to boycott the upcoming film. The previous movie grossed over $1.1 Billion (Worldwide), and Warner Bros. would have expectations of the sequel surpassing that, which is now at risk due to the threats of a possible boycott .

Edited by Siddharth Satish