Following the shocking news that Johnny Depp had been fired from the third Fantastic Beasts movie, it was announced in November that Hannibal actor Mads Mikkelsen would be taking over the role of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.
The actor, who is famous for his role as Hannibal Lecter in the beloved series Hannibal, recently spoke to Screen Daily and revealed what made him accept the role of Gellert Grindelwald, explaining that he was excited to get back to work following COVID-19 shutdowns and was already a fan of the Wizarding World franchise.
“I haven’t been working since March because of lockdown. All of a sudden this came along and I thought it was perfect,” Mikkelsen said. The actor then revealed that his daughter is a big fan of the Harry Potter franchise and noted that he’s also a fan, saying: “I like that universe.”
While the internet is still in shock over Johnny Depp’s exit from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, I don’t think anyone will disagree when I say that Mads Mikkelsen seems like the perfect fit for Grindelwald. The actor has more than proven his ability to portray a cold-blooded villain, and I’m personally excited to see what he brings to the role.
The third film in the Fantastic Beasts franchise is currently scheduled for release next summer. The film will see the return of Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore, Ezra Miller as Credence/Aurelius Dumbledore, Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski and Callum Turner as Theseus Scamander.
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