Johnny Depp is no longer involved with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and beyond.
Grindelwald's importance to the Fantastic Beasts series and Depp's star power are immense, which is why the recent news that Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling stood by him at first, Depp's exit from Fantastic Beasts 3 comes after a recent court case was not ruled in his favor. This is believed to be the reason behind WB deciding only now to ask Depp to step away.
Following Depp's announcement that he will no longer play Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3, WB didn't wait too long before confirming what will happen next. It is confirmed that they are Fantastic Beasts 3 was pushed to 2022. Even though we don't know who will play Grindelwald in Depp's absence, the change can't be ignored in Fantastic Beasts 3. Here's how the movie can explain Grindelwald's new appearance.
Why Johnny Depp's Grindelwald Is Being Recast For Fantastic Beasts 3
Once Warner Bros. decided they no longer wanted Depp to play Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3, the only legitimate outcome was to recast. He has had a major role in both of the prior films and is too connected to the ongoing story to disappear. The ending of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald saw him befriend Credence and convince Queenie Goldstein to their cause. Grindelwald told Credence that his birth name is Aurelius Dumbledore, making him the younger brother of Albus Dumbledore. His importance to the story is only just getting started, though, as Grindelwald's vital role in the Wizarding World is already established. Grindelwald led a magical war on the world, one which led to to a duel with Albus Dumbledore in 1945.
Since so much of Grindelwald's story is unchangeable and necessary for Fantastic Beasts' ongoing story, there is no other option but to recast him. It would be a huge retcon for another character to take on a similar role to Grindelwald. Even if they could find a way to quickly write him out of Fantastic Beasts 3's script (which would be quite difficult since Dumbledore was recast in the original Harry Potter franchise. Richard Harris played the character for two films before he died, and Michael Gambon took over the role.
Fantastic Beasts 3 Needs To Explain Johnny Depp's Exit
When it comes to movies recasting major roles, there are several ways the stories can handle it. Harry Potter already showed with its Dumbledore recast that sometimes a new actor can be brought in and there's no need to explain it in-universe, since some audiences might not even notice the change. There are also films like Iron Man 2 that cleverly address the need to recast certain characters during the new actor's first appearance. Fantastic Beasts 3 could go either way, but it would be strange for the movie not to acknowledge the recasting in some capacity.
Not only does Depp have a distinguishable look to him, Grindelwald's appearance is well-known and unique in Fantastic Beasts. His white hair and mismatched eyes are a huge identifier for him. Even if he had a less noticeable appearance, Grindelwald is still the biggest threat in the magical world at this time. The idea that Grindelwald could suddenly look quite different in Fantastic Beasts 3 and no one would bat an eye doesn't line up. If Grindelwald is going to be recast, though, the good news for Fantastic Beasts is that the franchise is uniquely equipped to explain Depp's exit and any change to the Dark Wizard's appearance.
Magic Fantastic Beasts 3 Can Use To Explain Johnny Depp's Exit
As a franchise that is set in a magical universe, Fantastic Beasts 3 can naturally utilize its magic elements to explain Grindelwald's new look. The Harry Potter universe has introduced many different ways for people to change their appearance. One such example is the use of the Polyjuice Potion. It is one of the most advanced potions that exists and is known to be something that only top-tier wizards and witches can properly create. Grindelwald would certainly fit that description, so Fantastic Beasts 3 could reveal that he's used the potion to change his appearance.
Grindelwald could also re-use transformation spells to accomplish the goal. When Grindelwald originally decided to change his appearance to take Percival Graves' place, he used human transfiguration. Human transfiguration spells are the most advanced form of Transfiguration and only taught at Hogwarts to those who are sixth-year students or better. However, since Newt Scamander already knows how to reverse this transformation, that could be a reason why Grindelwald wouldn't use the same methods again. No matter what method is picked for Fantastic Beasts 3, the movie has multiple built-in ways to explain why Grindelwald looks like someone else.
This is the easiest way for a new actor to take on the role and not have to be identical in appearance or performance as Depp. Fantastic Beasts 3 could be reworked to give Grindelwald a need to hide his true appearance. After his increased power in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and the start of his war against the rest of the magic world, Grindelwald changing his appearance could allow him to continue traveling the world in secret to set the rest of his plans in motion. With the Ministry of Magic, Newt, Albus Dumbledore, and many others looking to bring him down, it would be in Grindelwald's best interests to be conspicuous when possible. A new appearance can make this possible, allowing the story for Fantastic Beasts 3 to work in unison with the need to explain why Grindelwald no longer looks like Johnny Depp.
