Even After the Amber Heard Controversy, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman 2 Easily Beats Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam at Box Office
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, fifteenth and the final movie in DCEU, debuted in December 2023 starred Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson along with Amber Heard and more. As a follow-up to 2018’s Aquaman, it centers around how Arthur Curry must work with his half-brother to prevent a threat looming around his family and Atlantis.
Aquaman 2 received negative press after statements by Amber Heard resurfaced online. Even though the movie received mixed reviews from critics, it managed to break records by grossing over $396.2 million at the box office.
Amber Heard’s re-surfaced defamation trial notes stirred up the controversy for Aquaman 2
Amber Heard starred as Mera in 2018’s Aquaman opposite Jason Momoa and returned for the sequel, too. But the actress had been in the news for her infamous defamation trial against former partner and actor Johnny Depp, which she after six weeks of grilling lost. Amber Heard had indeed made sure to express her disappointment with the verdict.
Last year, in mid-September, when Warner Bros. dropped the trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and documents from the trial re-surfaced online. The documents had Heard’s therapist, Dr. Dawn Hughes’ notes mentioned how the actress felt hostile while working on the sets of Aquaman 2.
The notes said that Jason Momoa wanted Amber Heard out of the project; he dressed up like Johnny Depp and was intoxicated. It also mentioned that the director wasn’t very thrilled to have her in the movie.
A representative from DC shared a statement at the time via Variety;
“Jason Momoa conducted himself in a professional manner at all times on the set of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Jason works his a** off, likes to have a beer once in a while like everyone, but doesn’t show up drunk on set.”
They also defended Heard’s statement that Momoa dressed up like Johnny Depp by stating that he has always dressed up in the bohemian style. The actress did not comment on the resurfacing of her documents but confirmed that they do refer to her time on the sets of the movie. James Wan declined to comment on her statement of him being unsupportive of her on sets.
A representative of DC, however, clarified via Variety,
“James is known for treating members of his cast and crew with the utmost respect and for fostering a positive collaborative environment on set, ‘Aquaman’ films were no exception.”
The actress was almost dropped from the project because the director believed that the chemistry between Momoa and Heard was not quite there. Heard’s screen time was reduced to nearly 15-20 minutes and was not a part of the promotion.
Aquaman 2 becomes DC’s biggest and successful movie in 2023
Even though the sequel to the 2018 movie and the final installment of DCEU received mixed comments from the critics and audience, it has managed to break records by grossing about $396.2 million at the box office, according Home of DC account. With this record, the movie has managed to surpass the earnings of The Flash, Shazam! : Fury of the Gods, Blue Beetle, and Black Adam. Aquaman 2 has now become the biggest hit for DC in 2023.
The highly talked about movie, Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson, was a spin-off to Shazam! The movie, which was expected to bring glory for Warner Bros. and DC at the box office, turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments. It received negative comments from the critics and the audience but managed to gross near about $393 million at the box office.
After a disappointing box office run, James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired as co-CEOs of DC Studios, who then decided to bring DCEU to an end and bring DCU into the picture. Dwayne Johnson noted that the failure of Black Adam stems from a change in the leadership at the DC Studios.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is playing in theatres and will soon be making its way for a digital release.
