Mads Mikkelsen is already the most prominent actor in the list of candidates to replace Johnny Depp as Grindelwald for the highly-anticipated film Fantastic beasts starring Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law.

The Harry Potter spinoff was set to be released at the end of 2021, however a later date has been announced for the summer of 2022.

Depp addressed the controversial legal battle that involved claims of domestic abuse by the British newspaper The Sun, following the divorce of his ex-wife Amber Heard, further explaining that the verdict was “surreal” and he would continue to fight for the truth.

While the actor admitted he was planning “to appeal” to the final decision of the judge, he also admitted that he had been forced to exit the famous franchise created by JK Rowling, as it was advised for Warner Bros amid the media attention for his legal case, to which he completely “respected and agreed.”

The production company is now confirming their decision to recast the main part for the film and rumors of Mikkelsen being considered as a potential ‘Grindelwald’ are starting.

Fans of the franchise are already expressing their opinions on Twitter and Instagram, with some of them agreeing on the decision as the Danish actor may “fulfill the role well,” while others are extremely opposed to the idea, as they think Johnny Depp and his acting skills are “irreplaceable.”

Mads is best known for starring in the NBC TV series Hannibal, and recently for his appearance in Doctor Strange alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and in Star Wars portraying Galen Erso.