Now that Johnny Depp’s career is back on the upswing following his highly-publicized defamation trial involving ex-wife Amber Heard, the question on everyone’s mind is whether or not the actor will eventually return to either of the major roles he lost as a result of his years-long legal drama.
Depp, of course, lost his roles as both Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Gellert Grindelwald in Warner Bros. Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts series.
While it has been made clear that Disney intends to continue Pirateswith Margot Robbie at the helm, Depp’s Grindelwald replacement, Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) recently spoke out about how the Sleepy Hollow actor “might” eventually return.
“It was very intimidating,” said Mikkelsen. “Obviously, well, now the course has changed—he won the suit, the court [case]—so let’s see if he comes back. He might. I’m a big fan of Johnny. I think he’s an amazing actor, I think he did a fantastic job. Having said that, I could not copy it. There’s there was no way I could just copy it, because it’s so much him. It would be creative suicide. So, we had to come up with something else, something that was mine, and build a bridge between him and me. So, yes, it was intimidating. His fans were very, very sweet, but they were also very stubborn. I didn’t interact too much with them, but I could understand why they had their hearts broken.”
Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Grindelwald in The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) was well-received, with some critics even preferring him to Depp, referring to the latter as “easy to forget” in the role. Depp’s immensely loyal fan base, however, would undoubtedly be thrilled to see their beloved icon return to the franchise at some point.
If you haven’t been following the ongoing Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard case, in November 2020, Hollywood actor Depp lost his libel lawsuit against U.K. News Group Newspaper publication, The Sun, for their report that he had allegedly engaged in domestic violence — including a reported “hostage” situation during a Pirates of the Caribbean shoot in Australia — against the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom actress on multiple occasions.
British Judge Andrew Nicol presided over the original proceedings, and Depp later lost his right to appeal the original ruling in the United Kingdom. The Jack Sparrow actor, for his part, has denied the domestic violence allegations, with even his ex-partners, Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder, speaking out in his defense at various times.
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Credit: ABC
