July of 2022 is going to be a banner month for Mads Mikkelsen. Not only will he have a role opposite Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones 5. He’s also set to appear as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3, which lands two weeks earlier. Mikkelsen inherited the role from Johnny Depp, who already played the Dark Wizard in the first two Fantastic Beasts films. And while speaking with The Sunday Times (via EW), Mikkelsen shared more of his thoughts behind taking over the character.
Warner Bros. asked Depp to leave Fantastic Beasts 3 last fall after he lost a libel suit against The Sun. The British tabloid famously referred to Depp as a “wife beater” in 2018 in reference to long-running allegations of domestic abuse against ex-wife Amber Heard. During this latest interview, Mikkelsen wouldn’t say whether he supported his predecessor’s dismissal from the film. However, he did reveal that he initially hoped to meet with Depp about his Grindelwald approach.
“I mean, obviously, they were going to do the film, and obviously he was not involved anymore,” said Mikkelsen. “But I didn’t have a dog in that fight. And I don’t know what happened [in his private life], and I don’t know if it was fair, him losing the job, but I just knew that the show was going on, and I would’ve loved to have talked to him about it if I had the chance, but I just don’t know him in that sense.”
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“But they called me and they were obviously in a hurry,” continued Mikkelsen. “And I loved the script and so said yes. And I know it was controversial for many people, but that’s just the way it plays out once in a while.”
Mikkelsen also reiterated that he has no interest in mimicking Depp’s performance from the earlier movies.
“I didn’t want to copy what Johnny had done,” added Mikkelsen. “I think he’s a masterful actor. So copying him would’ve been creative suicide. I had to figure out something that was definitely my own, and yet also act as a bridge to what he had done. My take is different, and the look is a little different, but we’ll have to wait for the film’s release [next year] to find out.”
Fantastic Beasts 3 hits theaters on July 15, 2022.
Are you excited to see what Mikkelsen does with the role? Let us know in the comments down below!
Recommended Reading: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Two-Volume Hardcover Book Set
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