Following Johnny Depp's departure from the role of Gellert Grindelwald in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts 3, many questions remain over how exactly Mads Mikkelsen will be brought in to replace him. Currently, audiences have no idea how exactly the changeover will work. Will Depp transform in Mikkelsen Doctor Who style? Or will Grindelwald now just look like Mikkelsen with zero explanation? Well, while praising the Fantastic Beasts 3 script, Mikkelsen revealed that the villain won't be in the movie as much as fans are likely expecting.

"We've wrapped it up. Obviously I have only been part of it for half the time that the rest of the gang has. It was a lovely experience. I think they had a really great script; a great, solid story. So, if that is anything to measure on, I think the film will be... you know, as magical as it has to be, with all the wonderful creatures, but also quite beautiful. There are some really interesting, heart-breaking stories in there. And hopefully that will come across."

Fans of the Fantastic Beasts franchise were shocked to hear that Johnny Depp had been asked by Warner Bros. to step down from the role of the central villain. The intention had always been for Depp to play the role throughout the rest of the series, but this changed amid various allegations that have been levelled at the actor.

Of course, while the situation itself was very different, this is not the first time that Mads Mikkelsen stepped into a role already established by someone else. Mikkelsen played the iconic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in TV's Hannibal, taking over from Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, who had made the role his own several times on the big screen. The similarities are not lost on Mikkelsen, who even compares his interpretation of Grindelwald to that of Hannibal.

"This is obviously a more direct comparison because it's the next film. So, we have done a few bridges that will allow us to recognize it, but we've also said we have to make it our own. I have been a fan of Johnny Depp since I saw him as a young man, and to try to bring his intensity and his way of doing it into my work is a no-go. I have to find my own, because his is unique, and I just have to let that be, and find a different path."

While plot details for Fantastic Beasts 3 remain tightly under wraps, it will no doubt continue to build up to World War II and the wizarding war that runs parallel. There are currently plans in place to make up to five movies in the franchise, with star Katherine Waterston revealing that director David Yates will helm all of them. "I think he is meant to direct them all," the actress revealed. "I think it's very interesting. He's worked very closely with [franchise creator] J.K. Rowling for a long time and very few people have access to her because she's quite insulated and so I can't really imagine how it could work any other way frankly."

Fantastic Beasts 3 stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Jude Law as Dumbledore, Mads Mikkelsen as Gellert Grindelwald, Ezra Miller as Credence, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, and Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein. The project has faced several delays amid the ongoing global situation and is now scheduled to hit theaters on 15 July 2022. This comes to us from Games Radar. The topper image comes from @Lellex1010 on Reddit.