Mads Mikkelsen Comments on Replacing Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3

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Mads Mikkelsen comments on replacing Johnny Depp in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts 3, hinting at his new take on dark wizard Grindelwald. The Fantastic Beasts franchise, which first began in 2016, continues to expand upon J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World. There are five films planned in total, and the third is currently scheduled for release in July 2022. Fantastic Beasts 3 was supposed to debut later this year, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed production by several months.

Last fall, fans were stunned to learn Johnny Depp, who played pre-Voldemort dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald for the first two Fantastic Beasts movies, had departed the franchise at the behest of Warner Bros. It was said that the studio was unnerved by Depp's legal issues and asked him to step away. Weeks later, Hannibal fan favorite Mikkelsen officially signed on to play Grindelwald for Fantastic Beasts 3 and beyond. Fans have yet to see any shots of Mikkelsen in costume, but the actor has spoken about what it means to take over the role from Depp.

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RELATED: How Fantastic Beasts 3 Can Explain Johnny Depp’s Exit

While talking to Collider, Mikkelsen explained how it is important that he develop his own Grindelwald, since it does no one any good to simply imitate Depp. At the same time, he's looking to create a "bridge" between his performance and Depp's. Mikkelsen said:

“Nobody’s interested in me going in there and trying to copy anything, that would be creative suicide immediately, especially when it’s been done before and masterfully. So everybody’s expecting us to find a different path. Having said that, we need a bridge between what he did and what I’m gonna do, so those bridges you have to find together, whether it’s a certain look, whether it’s a certain attitude in certain situations, but you have to make it your own. Anything else would be plainly just creatively stupid.”

Depp's role in the first Fantastic Beasts was really just a cameo near the end, so he only had one movie to truly make his mark on Grindelwald. His involvement with the franchise spurred a great deal of controversy, as did his exit; Fantastic Beasts needs to be careful when plotting its way forward with their new Grindelwald. Mikkelsen has proven his villainous chops with roles like Kaecilius in Doctor Strange and Le Cheiffre in Casino Royale (not to mention Hannibal). On paper, he feels like an excellent choice to play Grindelwald, but it will all depend on how well he manages to reconcile his take on the character with Depp's.

Plot details for Fantastic Beasts 3 are scarce, but as the middle installment, it will build up to a major wizarding war. The franchise is expected to culminate with the legendary battle between Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), so Fantastic Beasts 3 will likely continue to lay the foundation for that as well. With the film not scheduled for release for another year, it will be a while before official looks at the film will emerge. When the time comes, though, don't be surprised if Mikkelsen's Grindelwald is the first to debut. After all, there's a lot of anticipation surrounding his arrival.