According to a fan petition on Change.org, more than 2.1 million people have signed on to remove Heard from the Aquaman films following the controversial issues that have come to light during Johnny Depp’s trial. The petition cites the “many incidents of domestic abuse” that Johnny Depp suffered from his former wife, Amber Heard, as the biggest reason for the removal. The petition also adds Heard’s arrest in 2009 for reports of domestic abuse against Tasya Van Ree, saying that it demonstrates “a repeated pattern of abuse by Amber Heard.”" The ongoing $50 million defamation lawsuit in Virginia comes almost two years after Depp lost a libel case filed against The Sun for labeling him as a “wife beater”. Depp has since lost several roles in blockbuster films, including Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, where he was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen. Heard starred opposite Jason Momoa in 2018’s Aquaman as the love interest to the film’s lead character, Arthur Curry, who would later adopt his more popular superhero moniker, Aquaman. The film is currently the highest-grossing DCEU movie after pulling in more than $1.1 billion at the global box office. However, after the problems between Heard and Depp became public, her spot in the sequel became a target for fans. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. doesn’t seem interested in listening to its fans. Last year, the film’s producer, Peter Safran, confirmed that the studio isn’t going to give in to “pure fan pressure.” We’re curious to find out if Warner Bros.’s stance hasn’t changed. Many believe that the ensuing backlash from Johnny Depp’s resignation from his role as Geller Grindelwald is the main reason why Fantasy Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore isn’t doing well in theaters. The third Fantasy Beasts film only pulled in $283 million worldwide, the lowest in the entire Harry Potter cinematic franchise.
