A few days ago, Warner Bros. asked Johnny Depp to step away from the Fantastic Beasts franchise. The film is already shooting so it added an extra layer of difficulty as the studio needed to fill the role sooner rather than later. While it’s not official as of yet, Grindelwald’s seat may not get cold as Deadline has reported a front runner to take the role.
It is being reported that Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) is currently at the top of a list of actors who Warner Bros. are considering to replace Depp in the role, and that he’s actually already in early talks with the studio as he’s the favored choice of director David Yates. While Depp was doing great in the role, Mikkelsen has been killing it for years with roles in Casino Royale, Hannibal, & Doctor Strange, so it will not be a surprise if he knocks it out of the park.