Johnny Depp has broken his silence about being replaced in the Fantastic Beasts franchise amid the domestic abuse controversy with his ex-wife Amber Heard. The actor, famous for portraying Grindelwald, revealed what happened behind the scenes nearly five years after Warner Bros. asked him to step down.
Depp starred in the first two Fantastic Beasts films in 2018 but was removed from the third installment in 2020. Mads Mikkelsen took over the role after Warner Bros. requested Depp’s resignation during his legal disputes.
Despite initial public support from JK Rowling and the film’s director, the studio made the decision to recast. Depp accepted the request but later described feeling “cancelled” and discarded.
He shared in an interview with The Telegraph that Warner Bros. wanted him to retire, which he refused, stating he was resilient and not easily defeated.
Depp’s legal battles included losing a libel case in the UK against The Sun in 2020 but winning a defamation suit in the US against The Washington Post in 2022. He explained that defending himself was crucial for his career and self-respect.
Currently, Depp is focused on directing, with his new movie Modìgliani: Three Days on the Wing of Madness releasing soon.
