Mads Mikkelsen In Talks to Play Grindelwald in ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’

The announcement last week that Johnny Depp was dropping out of the third Fantastic Beasts film meant the franchise needed a new actor to assume the role of the evil Grindelwald, the key villain in the Harry Potter spinoff series. Production had already begun on Fantastic Beasts 3 by the time Depp resigned, supposedly at the request of production studio Warner Bros. after he lost a libel case in England regarding articles involving his relationship with wife Amber Heard. That means time is of the essence when it comes to finding a replacement.

According to Deadline, the man most likely to assume the role is Mads Mikkelsen of Hannibal and Doctor Strange fame. Though it’s not a done deal yet, the trade claims he is in “early talks” for the part:

Depp reportedly was asked to leave after shooting one day on the film — he’s being paid for the whole film but had a five picture deal — and Warner Bros has been racing ever since to lock in a new actor. There has been speculation on a number of thesps, but I hear that Yates is a big fan of Mikkelsen and that the Danish actor is the guy they are trying to lock in.

With a resume full of handsome, terrifying bad guys like Le Chiffre from Casino Royale, Mikkelsen seems like an ideal choice for the role. Fantastic Beasts 3 is scheduled to open in theaters on July 15, 2022.

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