Johnny Depp Replaced: Mads Mikkelsen Reveals One Wish After Getting 'Fantastic Beasts 3' Role
Mads Mikkelsen now owns Johnny Depp's "Fantastic Beasts" role, but there's one wish he has involving the disgraced actor.
Weeks after he officially became the new Gellert Grindelwald, Mikkelsen spoke candidly about how badly he wishes to contact Depp.
The "Fantastic Beasts" franchise has already filmed a part with Depp. But after the actor lost his libel case against The Sun, Warner Bros. reportedly asked him to resign from his role.
Warner Bros., for their part, immediately found Mikkelsen and hired him as Depp's replacement in the next installment.
Such a quick turn of events surprised Mikkelsen as well, so much so that he wishes he has the actor's number to contact him.
In an interview with AP Entertainment (via The Independent), the 55-year-old actor revealed that he wants to talk to Depp after the transition.
"No, I don't know him. I've met him once. I wish I had his phone number, but unfortunately that's not the case," he said.
The actor added that there is nothing else he can do after landing on the role. Instead, he can only connect "the bridge" of what Depp did to the character and what he will do.
Johnny Depp's "Fantastic Beasts" Replacement
Previously, the Danish actor broke his silence to EW and spoke about what it felt like to replace Depp.
Per Mikkelsen, the hiring is super interesting and nice. But if he would set aside his professional thoughts, he said that it was a shocker since it came after several damaging accusations about Depp emerged.
"I wish both of them the best," he said, referring to the various negative Johnny Depp news. "These are sad circumstances. I hope both of them will be back in the saddle again really soon."
The production of "Fantastic Beasts" is already underway and is expected to be released in July 2022.
Still, fans will see one of Mads Mikkelsen's movies before the "Harry Potter" spin-off..
Before playing Grindelwald's role, Mikkelsen is set to feature as a Danish schoolteacher in the upcoming film "Another Round."
Mads Mikkelsen First Choice for Grindelwald Role
On November 6, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star officially left the franchise through a heartfelt letter on his Instagram account.
"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," Depp wrote.
His fans still launched appeals after that. However, all their petitions were put to waste as Warner Bros. immediately hired Mikkelsen as the replacement a few days after.
On November 10, Deadline reported that the film's director, David Yates, put Mikkelsen on his top list to play Grindelwald's role.
Since he finally agreed to the terms, he will play the chief antagonist on the third installment and in the next movies of "Fantastic Beasts."
While J.K Rowling has remained tight-lipped after previously defending Depp, other Hollywood personalities defended him and saw the move as brutal.
For instance, Caroline Thompson, Depp's former workmate in "Edward Scissorhands," said that Warner Bros. made a cruel act by removing him.
According to Thompson, the removal of the 57-year-old was "cruel." However, she said she understands why the media giant decided to ask him to leave.
"There are fallouts from our hyper-sensitive times. Things go to extremes, and they have to. It's all apart of the zeitgeist we are experiencing right now," she told Insider. "I hope he's okay."
