Mads Mikkelsenis in early talks to replaceJohnny Deppas Grindelwald inFantastic Beasts 3, and I have to say… I called it.
When the news of Depp’s exitbroke on Friday, this is the note I sent to my colleagues on Slack, word for word: “So I’ve never seen these movies but maybe someone should write a 10 actors who should replace Depp article? I voteMadsor Olyphant.”
Sure enough,Deadlinereports that Mikkelsen is directorDavid Yates' top choice and is in early discussions with Warner Bros. to take over the role. The studio is trying to wrap up the deal quickly, as production is already under way. In fact, Depp filmed a scene as Grindelwald before he was asked to step down from the sequel due to his legal troubles in the UK.
Mikkelsen represents a major upgrade over Depp in my book. He may be a sweetheart of a guy, by all accounts, but he just looks like an evil villain, and there’s something about his hair and the sharp angles of his face that reminded me of Depp. He’s also an affordable star who is especially recognizable to this audience, having appeared in four-quadrant blockbusters such asCasino Royale,Doctor StrangeandRogue One: A Star Wars Story.
For what it’s worth, I thoughtTimothy Olyphantwould do a good job as well, and he’s riding high offFargo,The Mandalorian, and his turn in last year’sQuentin Tarantinomovie, but alas, Mikkelsen got the call first, and I expect him to strike a deal with Warners. Perhaps the studio’s DC label (or its rival Marvel) will keep Olyphant in mind for something else down the line.
To be clear, I hadn’t heard anything about Depp’s replacement before Deadline’s scoop, those were just my personal picks, andI know I wasn’t aloneregarding Mikkelsen. I was going to throw Mads' name out there on this week’s episode ofThe Sneider Cut, but naturally, Deadline beat me to the punch.
Fantastic Beasts 3had been slated for release on Aug 21, 2025, but it recently shifted to summer 2022.Eddie Redmayneis coming back as Newt Scamander, and he’ll be joined byJude Lawas Dumbledore. To find out exactly when the third film will hit theaters,click here.
