Mads Mikkelsen to Play Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts 3"

Warner Bros. announced Wednesday that Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen will take over award-winning actor Johnny Depp's role as Dark Wizard Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts 3".

Depp was set to play as Grindelwald for the entire franchise, but following his loss of a libel case against a newspaper that called him a "wife-beater," Warner Bros. asked Depp to step down.

Early reports suggested Mikkelsen was the frontrunner for Grindelwald, however, the actor later refuted those claims.

"Fantastic Beasts 3" is currently in production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden outside of London.

The film is directed by David Yates and award-winning author J.K. Rowling, who also penned the script.

"Fantastic Beasts 3" is scheduled for release on July 15, 2022.