Mads Mikkelsen has opened up about portraying Grindelwald in the latest Fantastic Beasts installment, The Secrets of Dumbledore. The actor got in the film real quick after Johnny Depp was removed from the production and is the newest member in the franchise, joining the series veterans Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, and Katherine Waterston. Mikkelsen’s entry into the film became further significant as Grindelwald has a more thorough role to play going ahead in the franchise. In the film, Grindelwald tries to grow an army of wizards and raise political support to wage war against the muggles, while being countered by a group of Dumbledore allies.
Ahead of the film’s release, Mikkelsen spoke about his joining the franchise in an interview with Supanova Comic-con and Gaming. Commenting about how he felt homely on sets and how other co-actors were warm to welcome him in the magic game, Mikkelsen said,
"Yeah, I was thrown into it a little later than the rest of the gang. I mean, they’d done two films, and then they were halfway through [The Secrets of Dumbledore] when I joined the party. It’s a family you visit, and you can only hope that they will adopt you – and they did. The whole gang is fantastic, the crew is fantastic, David [Yates] is fantastic – and if they are the family, [David’s] the godfather, and he’s done this so many times he makes everybody feel at home. My journey was fast, swift, but I felt at home right away."
The role fell to Mikkelsen after Warner Bros. severed ties with Depp on grounds of abuse allegations against him. Depp received a full salary for the film per his contract, and he stepped away respectfully, accepting the studio’s decision.
A New Take On Grindelwald
When Mikkelsen first landed the role, he was quick enough to acknowledge that he won’t adapt Depp’s approach to the role and deemed copying his look and methods a ‘creative suicide.’ While Depp’s look and portrayal of the character were of a cunning, wicked, and necessary evil, Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Grindelwald was more politically motivated and ambitious towards his cause. He necessarily didn’t look evil, making his stance against the muggle world among fellow wizards more empowered by his ideologies instead of imposing fear.
The decision worked fairly for him as working on his own approach instead of adapting Depp’s. He was able to swiftly move into the role without much of a hustle, especially when the studio needed the production to begin as fast as it could owing to the previous delays caused by the pandemic and Depp’s removal from the film. Mikkelsen’s distinct approach to the character has been well received as perceived in the trailer and the film’s early reviews have been positive towards his and Jude Law’s chemistry as lovers-turned-foes. The film has also been cited as an improvement over its predecessor which left too many plot points unanswered to be covered in the sequels.
Mikkelsen, given his fan following and the praise he has received for his several Award-winning portrayals in films and television, has already attracted quite an attention from the audience. After the trailers, fans were particularly excited to see him take on Depp’s role. The film now has a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with audience ratings coming in as the film has been released in the United Kingdom.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will release in the U.S. and other territories on April 15, 2022.