Mads Mikkelsen has spoken out for the first time about replacing Johnny Depp in the Harry Potter spin-off movie franchise, Fantastic Beasts.
Depp recently hit headlines after it was revealed that he was asked by Warner Bros. to step down from the role as flashback antagonist Gellert Grindelwald following his legal battle against UK publication The Sun - who had labeled Depp a "wife-beater" following his high-profile divorce to Amber Heard.
Last week, it was revealed that Mikkelsen had accepted the role, and will be playing the villainous wizard in the upcoming third installment of the movie series.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the 55-year-old Hannibal star said the following about accepting the coveted role under the controversial circumstances:
Take a look at the trailer for The Crimes of Grindelwald below:"Job wise, it's obviously super interesting and nice. It's also a shocker that it came after what happened, which is just super sad.
"I wish both of them the best. These are sad circumstances. I hope both of them will be back in the saddle again really soon."
The former Bond villain then revealed how his performance will differ from Depp's, saying: "Well it's going to be me, so that's a difference."
Mikkelsen added: "No, this is the tricky part. We're still working it out. There has to be a bridge between what Johnny did and what I'm going to do. And at the same time, I also have to make it my own.
"But also we have to find a few links [to the previous version of the character] and some bridges so it doesn't completely detach from what he's already masterfully achieved."
Depp, 57, was asked to resign from the role by Warner Bros, following the spate of bad publicity caused by his contentious divorce from Aquaman actress Amber Heard, and his subsequent libel case against British newspaper The Sun.
Per CNN, Depp unsuccessfully sued the publication and its executive editor Dan Wootton, over an article published bearing the headline: "GONE POTTY: How can JK Rowling be 'genuinely happy' casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film? [sic]"
BBC News reports that Judge Andrew Nicol came to the conclusion that The Sun had proven that the content of the article was to be "substantially true", and ruled in the newspaper's favor.Depp broke the news in a post made on his official Instagram account on November 7, and emphatically denied the allegations of spousal abuse. In a statement made to his 8 million followers, the 57-year-old actor wrote:
"I have been humbled and moved by your many messages of love and concern, particularly over the last few days.
"Secondly, I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected that and agreed to that request."
He added: "Finally, I wish to say this. The surreal judgment of the court in the UK 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. Thank you for reading."
Per The Guardian, author JK Rowling had previously defended Depp, writing in a 2017 statement:
"Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the film-makers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies."
Depp is due to receive his full $10 million salary for his work, despite the fact that he only filmed one scene in the movie, thanks to his his pay-or-play contract, which requires that he be fully compensated whether or not the film is made and even if it is recast.
According to Deadline, the movie's production has been delayed due to the pandemic, with Fantastic Beasts 3 currently set to be released in theaters on July 15, 2022.