Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, and Ezra Miller are all expected to NOT return as their respective characters in the DCU.
These waters are getting choppy.
On the same day in mid-September that Warner Bros. dropped the trailer for its $215 million “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” embarrassing documents from the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial surfaced on Reddit, creating a new headache for the studio behind the film.
Depp fans paid the court fees for the release of documents from Heard’s therapist, Dr. Dawn Hughes. The raw notes, scribbled on a legal pad, were part of last year’s high-profile trial in which Depp largely prevailed. They describe a hostile “Aquaman” set where an allegedly intoxicated Jason Momoa dressed like Depp and pushed to have Heard booted from the role of aquatic superhero Mera.
Then reports revealed Patty Jenkins will not be working on Wonder Woman 3 and Gal Gadot will not be returning in the superhero role as the film “did not fit in” with newly appointed DC Studios heads. However, in the follow up releases like Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash, Gal appeared in her superhero avatar alongside Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, confusing people around the future of her character.
None of the ‘JUSTICE LEAGUE’ stars from the DCEU will return to reprise their roles in James Gunn’s DCU. “Jason said he wanted me fired,” the notes say. “Jason drunk — late on set. Dressing like Johnny. Has all the rings too.”
A rep for Momoa declined comment, but a DC spokesperson pushed back on Heard’s characterization, saying, “Jason Momoa conducted himself in a professional manner at all times on the set of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’” Others echoed that sentiment. “Jason works his ass off, likes to have a beer once in a while like everyone, but doesn’t show up drunk to set,” says an insider who was on the London set in 2021, adding that the two stars got along and were seen joking together. “And he isn’t dressing like Johnny Depp. He has always dressed in that bohemian style.”
Heard declined comment, but a source close to the actress confirmed that the notes refer to the “Aquaman 2” set and reflect a session from Dec. 27, 2021. Another source close to the actress says her lawyers fought the release of the therapy notes, which had been subpoenaed by Depp’s attorneys during discovery.
DC is currently going through a revamp under Peter Saffron and James Gunn, many films have been scraped from the previously decided slate. Meanwhile, completely new actors and superheroes are being introduced with the upcoming five-year slate for the studio. Earlier Wonder Woman’s third film of the series has been scrapped alongside Superman and Batman solo films, but now reports have revealed otherwise.
