With Mads Mikkelsen officially onboard Fantastic Beasts 3 as the new Grindelwald, it was only a matter of time before he was forced to address the elephant in the room. Mikkelsen is replacing Johnny Depp, who resigned from the sequel last month over long-standing claims of domestic violence. Naturally, Mikkelsen’s involvement with the movie is a sticky subject. But in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, he discussed the complicated nature of taking on the role.
While speaking with EW, Mikkelsen explained how his take on the dark wizard will differ from Depp’s. Specifically, he suggested that he and the filmmakers will have to find a middle-ground between crafting an original performance and honoring what came before.
“Well it’s going to be me, so that’s a difference,” Mikkelsen joked. “There has to be a bridge between what Johnny did and what I’m going to do. And at the same time, I also have to make it my own. But also we have to find a few links [to the previous version of the character] and some bridges so it doesn’t completely detach from what he’s already masterfully achieved.”
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Mikkelsen went on to acknowledge the controversy surrounding Depp’s departure from the movie.
“Job wise, it’s obviously super interesting and nice,” Mikkelsen said. “It’s also a shocker that it came after what happened, which is just super sad. I wish both of them the best. These are sad circumstances. I hope both of them will be back in the saddle again really soon.”
Right now, Mikkelsen can be seen in Another Round, which was released in his native Denmark back in September. Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently shooting in the U.K. and will hit theaters on July 15, 2022.
Are you looking forward to seeing Mikkelsen’s performance in the film? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
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