Mads Mikkelsen Will Replace Johnny Depp in “Fantastic Beasts 3”

He'll play Gellert Grindelwald. 

Earlier this month, Johnny Depp announced that he would officially be exiting the Fantastic Beasts franchise following a highly publicised libel case against The Sun. 

Depp lost the legal battle after the UK judge dismissed Depp's libel case and sided in favour of The Sun, which referred to Depp as a "wife beater". 

"I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected and agreed to that request," the actor wrote on Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

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"Johnny Depp will depart the Fantastic Beasts franchise. We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date. Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently in production, and the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast. The film will debut in theatres worldwide in the summer of 2022," Warner Bros. wrote in a statement.

Of course, this left fans wondering who on earth would replace Depp in the franchise. 

Well, it has recently been confirmed that James Bond star Mads Mikkelsen will take over the role of the dark wizard for the third Fantastic Beasts film.

If you're not too familiar with the franchise, Grindelward is the immensely powerful main antagonist. 

Some fans are excited to see what Mikkelsen brings to the character, considering his impressive acting resume.

Mads Mikkelsen was criminally underused in the Bond series and is a gem in Hannibal. He's going to be an incredible Grindelwald.

— 🏈 Rob Cowsill 🏈 (@5YardRob) November 26, 2020

According to IndieWire, Depp will reportedly be paid his full eight-figure salary despite not appearing in the upcoming film. Additionally, he only filmed one scene before leaving the project. 

At this stage, very little is known about the plot, but it follows the adventures of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). The franchise also stars Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Katherine Waterston and Dan Fogler.  

Header Image: Warner Bros. & Stefania M. D'Alessandro / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images