It’s not entirely common for one actor to take over a role for another actor, and it’s certainly more of a challenge when that role is tied to one of the most popular franchises in the world. But that’s the task ahead of Mads Mikkelsen as it relates to Fantastic Beasts 3, as the Another Round actor signed on to take over the main role of Gellert Grindelwald from Johnny Depp who stepped down from the franchise.

Mikkelsen is no stranger to franchise filmmaking having appeared in Marvel’s Doctor Strange, the Star Wars prequel Rogue One, and of course the excellent Bond film Casino Royale, but with Fantastic Beasts 3 he’s stepping into a role that Depp originated in the previous two films. However, when speaking with Collider’s Christina Radish about the challenge, he explained that he needed to develop his own take on Grindelwald:

“Nobody’s interested in me going in there and trying to copy anything, that would be creative suicide immediately, especially when it’s been done before and masterfully. So everybody’s expecting us to find a different path. Having said that, we need a bridge between what he did and what I’m gonna do, so those bridges you have to find together, whether it’s a certain look, whether it’s a certain attitude in certain situations, but you have to make it your own. Anything else would be plainly just creatively stupid.”

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The Harry Potter franchise has undergone casting changes before, most notably with Dumbledore when Richard Harris passed away after appearing in the first two films. Michael Gambon came in with his own take on the character, but there was still a sense of continuity through the franchise. One expects that will be the same with Fantastic Beasts 3, which wrapped filming this year and is due to be released in theaters on July 15, 2022.

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Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

When asked what drew him to Fantastic Beasts, Mikkelsen revealed that he’s not only a fan of the Potter franchise, but it was also an opportunity to do a kind of film that doesn’t get made in his home country of Denmark:

“I’m a big fan of the Potter universe, and it’s a kind of genre that you don’t touch upon in my part of the world. You can’t get away with that budget-wise in Denmark, so obviously when it came my way it was a fantastic opportunity.”

Look for our full interview with Mikkelsen on Collider soon.

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