Mads Mikkelsen suggests Johnny Depp'might' return to 'Fantastic Beasts' ...

Mads Mikkelsen suggests Johnny Depp'might' return to 'Fantastic Beasts'.

In the third part of the Fantastic Beasts spinoff series, entitled Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Mads Mikkelsen took over for Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald.

Mads Mikkelsen has stated that after Johnny Depp's recent court verdict, it is totally conceivable for him to reprise his role as Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts.

In 2018, Depp played Harry Potter villain Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, but he stepped down from the role in November 2020 due to legal issues stemming from assault charges made against him by his ex-wife Amber Heard, which he denies. He was once called a "wife-beater" by the British tabloid The Sun, and he filed a libel suit against the publication, which ultimately resulted in a loss for him.

Heard, 36, penned an opinion piece for the Washington Post in 2018 about domestic violence, but she didn't identify Depp by name. On June 1, Depp won his own defamation lawsuit against Heard in Virginia. One of her counterclaims for slander was successful as well. Both of them are challenging the decisions.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the third film in the series, was released in theaters this past April, and it stars Mikkelsen, 56, as Grindelwald.

Following the current court ruling, Mikkelsen hinted that Depp could return to the character in a hypothetical sequel.

"So, now that things have changed — he's the victor in the suit or court [case] — we'll have to wait and see if he returns. It's possible. For the record, I am a huge Johnny lover "This is what he shared with Deadline, he said. "He's a superb actor, in my opinion. I was unable to replicate it, however. Given how uniquely his it is, there was no way I could have gotten away with a simple rip-off. It'd be like shooting yourself in the foot artistically. So we had to think of something else, something that was uniquely my, to help us connect."

"Quite frankly, it scared me. His devotees possessed an endearing sweetness, but they were also incredibly intransigent. I didn't interact too much with them, but I could understand why they had their hearts crushed," continued Mikkelsen.

For a Harry Potter film, The Secrets of Dumbledore had the lowest opening weekend gross. There has been no official confirmation of a sequel, but author J.K. Rowling has said that there would be five films in the Harry Potter film series.

In April, Mikkelsen explained to The Hollywood Reporter why the sequel does not directly address Grindelwald's abrupt change of appearance: "We planned everything out meticulously. It's common knowledge why [the performers] made the switch. The reason why is obvious to everyone. If we switched performers, it would be almost like an Easter egg to reality. Hopefully we lure them in with the opening scene and from there they accept our reality."

He continued by saying he wished he could have talked with Depp about replacing him in the part. "The thought never crossed my mind to beg him to talk to me. To have a chat and clear the air would have been fantastic. Someday I might run into him again "asserted Mikkelsen.

On June 1, after a dramatic six-week trial, they both spoke publicly about the verdict. Heard called it a "setback" for women who speak up, while Depp said he felt like the jury "given me my life down."

When asked about this, Depp remarked, "My choice to pursue this action was not done lightly; I was well aware of the formidable legal obstacles I would face and the impending, global spectacle that would inevitably enter my life. With that in mind, it has always been clear that the purpose of this lawsuit was to expose the truth. I felt an obligation to my children and to those who have stood by me to tell the truth. Now that I've finished it, I can rest easy."

In his words, "a fresh chapter has finally begun" and "the best is yet to come."