There is little doubt that Johnny Depp is one of the most talked-about stars these days after he lost a high-profile libel case against his own ex-wife Amber Heard. Unfortunately, things are not looking well for the former Pirates of the Caribbean actor. Depp has just been asked to step down from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3, which is currently in production.
Johnny Depp's casting in the Harry Potter spin-off movies has always been a controversial topic. After all, Depp was cast as Gellert Grindelwald after Amber Heard accused him of domestic abuse.
However, things have changed since then as Johnny Depp had countered Amber Heard's claims, revealing that he was the one who was being abused during the marriage. Unfortunately, the U.K. court still ruled in favor of Heard despite numerous evidence provided by Depp's team.
Losing the libel case may have been a turning point for Johnny Depp. The Edward Scissorhands actor recently posted a letter on his official Instagram account to reveal that he will no longer appear in Fantastic Beasts 3. After thanking his supporters, Depp stated that he has been asked to exit the project.
"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 and agreed to that request," Depp wrote. Since then, Warner Bros. has confirmed that a new actor will be brought in to play the character.
"Johnny Depp will depart the Fantastic Beasts franchise," the statement from the studio read. "We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date." It further adds that "the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast."
This isn't the first time that Johnny Depp has lost a role in the past years since his legal troubles with Amber Heard started. The actor was previously removed from the next Pirates of the Caribbean film, which is now expected to be a reboot of the Disney franchise. This means that the new movie will no longer feature Captain Jack Sparrow although many fans believe that Depp will still have a small cameo in the reboot.
For now, Warner Bros. has not revealed who will take over the role of Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3. In the meantime, the film is currently in production. It is then expected to premiere in theaters worldwide in the summer of 2022.
