Earlier today came officially confirmation from actor Johnny Depp that despite appearing in the first two Fantastic Beasts films, he will be stepping down from the part of Gellert Grindelwald in the film franchise. The news came after production on the film has already restarted in the UK and just days after Depp lost a libel lawsuit against a British tabloid that characterized him as being abusive. He confirmed the news in a post on Instagram, writing “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,” and it didn’t take long for fans to start wondering about his replacement.
The natural first choice for many Harry Potter fans to replace Depp in the film is none other than actor Colin Farrell. As you may recall, the original Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them featured Farrell as Percival Graves, and Auror and head of Magical Security for MACUSA (the US equivalent of the Ministry of Magic). The big twist of the 2016 movie though was in the end Percival Graves was actually Gellert Grindelwald in disguise. In a world full of magic and countless logical rules to be bent, it would be easy to explain this casting away a second time.
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Grindelwald was previously mentioned in the Harry Potter books but the five film “Fantastic Beasts” series was crafted to tell his story and expand on other corners of the Wizarding World. The previous film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, saw the threat of Grindelwald fully emerge in the pre-WWII era of the Wizarding World. As Grindelwald’s forces convene, the most pivotal piece of the evil wizard’s plan is Credence (Ezra Miller), the boy with a powerful Obscurus parasite inside of him. Crimes of Grindelwald ended on the reveal from Grindelwald that Credence is actually Aurelius Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore’s long-lost brother.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3 will now arrive in Summer 2022.
Can we see Colin Farrell return instead?
Question… Can we see Colin Farrell return instead? He original played Grindelwald and was great. pic.twitter.com/pxvxrsoqk1
โ Ben Rolph (@TheDCTVshow) November 6, 2020
May I suggest Colin Farrell?
May I suggest Colin Farrell? https://t.co/n5lGRmv44T pic.twitter.com/qBOPi4UbA7
โ ahmad (@writtenbyahmad) November 6, 2020
wasted a perfectly good Colin
They had and wasted a perfectly good Colin Farrell!https://t.co/RREtJYrR1d
โ Mark O. Stack (@MarkOStack) November 6, 2020
pretend nothing changed
Bring Colin Farrell back immediately and pretend nothing changed. https://t.co/h4d9sUyrXX
โ Erica Jordan (@TheNYCFilmChick) November 6, 2020
they could have avoided all of this
Remember when Colin Farrell was in the first one as the same character and they could have avoided all of this by just… sticking with him https://t.co/eMbL1kfTFY
โ Carlos A. Morales (@CarlosAlonzoM) November 6, 2020
First action by President Biden
bring back colin farrell https://t.co/goe1QE9ZIu
โ zak ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ช (@ZakKondratenko) November 6, 2020
but i donโt want him to be grindelwald
i want colin farrell to be in the next fantastic beasts but i donโt want him to be grindelwald
โ menna โกโs hailey, nawaal & ana (@ICARUSFTEXILE) November 6, 2020
PLEEEASE?
NEWS: Johnny Depp exits ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’.
โ ThomasMarron (@TomDaniel007) November 6, 2020
FANS: Can we get Colin Farrell out again? pic.twitter.com/dLpOhNoasF
tired: get Colin Farrell back for Grindelwald
tired: get Colin Farrell back for Grindelwald
โ Kyle Dodson! We’ve Got Dodson Here! (@KyleDodsonFunny) November 6, 2020
wired: put a mustache on Tilda Swinton https://t.co/UmhvEZ7tdC
The Batman took everyone
wait i just realized the batman poached zoe kravitz AND colin farrell from the fantastic beasts franchise LMAO… matt reeves really out here with the harry potter talent refugee program
โ harvey boo-face esquire ๐โจ (@foeyeahboi) November 6, 2020