'He won his case, he might be back!': Mads Mikkelsen makes stunning admission about Johnny Depp and 'Fantastic Beasts'
SARAVEJO, BOSNIA: Back when Johnny Depp was struggling to find his place in Hollywood during his legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, Warner Bros. urged him to resign from the 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise as he was labeled a wife-beater. The role of Grindelwald was then passed on to Mads Mikkelsen, who went on to praise Depp time and again. During a film festival, Mikkelsen explained that he is a big fan of the fellow actor and now that he has won the case and cleared his name, he might just come back for his role.
Mikkelson arrived at the Sarajevo Film Festival to receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award. While it was his moment, the 56-year-old actor went on to praise the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor, explaining that the legacy of the role he left behind was unmatchable and that he had to work extensively to create a bridge between him and Depp. As per Deadline, “It was very intimidating. Obviously, well, now the course has changed. He won the suit, the court [case], so let’s see if he comes back. He might. I’m a big fan of Johnny. I think he’s an amazing actor, I think he did a fantastic job. Having said that, I could not copy it."
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Mads Mikkelsen praised Johnny Depp and his fans
Mikkelsen could not help but credit Johnny Depp even more for the depth that he created in the role. He continued, "There’s there was no way I could just copy it because it’s so much him. It would be creative suicide. So, we had to come up with something else, something that was mine, and build a bridge between him and me. So, yes, it was intimidating. His fans were very, very sweet, but they were also very stubborn. I didn’t interact too much with them, but I could understand why they had their hearts broken.” When Mikkelsen took on the role, he did not speak ill of Depp and praised the actor for his previous works.
Johnny Depp announced his resignation from the said role on November 6, 2020. In an Instagram post, he wrote, "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. The surreal judgement of the court in the U.K. will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal. My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time." At that time, Heard was soaring high in her career while Depp was trying to clear his name which did not happen until 2022. It's unclear whether Warner Bros. will ask Depp to return to the franchise or not, but Mikkelsen is all about appreciating a competitive talent in the film industry.