Mads Mikkelsen broke his silence following confirmation that he will play Gellert Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts 3." He said he is thankful for the job but finds it sad that he got cast after Johnny Depp lost his "wife-beater" case.

The Danish star talked about his casting in the "Harry Potter" spin-off during an interview about his recent film, "Another Round." He admitted that "job-wise, it's obviously super interesting and nice."

However, he also found it to be a "shocker" given the circumstances surrounding the casting. He was cast after Warner Bros. asked Depp to resign after he lost his defamation case agaainst The Sun in London's High Court.

"It's also a shocker that it came after what happened, which is just super sad," Mikkelsen told Entertainment Weekly.

"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," he added.

As for his portrayal of the villain wizard Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts 3," Mikkelsen said that it will not stray too much from when Depp played the role. He admitted that they are still working on the details of how he should portray the character.

"Well, it's going to be me, so that's a difference," the "Polar" star quipped.

"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," he explained adding, "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."

Warner Bros. confirmed Mikkelsen's casting in "Fantastic Beasts 3" last week after he hinted about the role, and following rumours of his involvement in the film. The "Hannibal" star was said to be director David Yates' top choice to replace Depp.

Prior to Depp and Mikkelsen, Colin Farrell played Grindelwald in the first film. Fans had hoped he would reprise the role in "Fantastic Beasts 3," But the actor is busy filming Matt Reeves' "The Batman" where he plays the Penguin.

Mads Mikkelsen
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