Fantastic Beasts 3: Mads Mikkelsen fills Johnny Depp’s shoes following Amber Heard controversy

Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Gellert Grindelwald was debuted in a Friday announcement video for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

The third installment in the Harry Potter prequel series is set to premiere in April 2022, after it was announced in 2020 that Johnny Depp, 58, would be replaced by the Danish actor, 58.

The decision came after the Hollywood actor was denied permission to appeal his libel loss in the High Court, after they found a story that he assaulted ex-wife Amber Heard to be ‘substantially true.’

The latest video clip, which showcased the successes of the film franchise since its conception in 2001, announced that the full-length trailer would drop on Monday.

Mads, who appeared in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in the teaser, looked strikingly different to his predecessor’s impression.

While Johnny sported a white quiff, a coordinating moustache and eyebrows, Mads opted for a grey side parting and a clean-shaven look.

Professor Dumbledore, who is portrayed by Jude Law, narrated: ‘The world as we know it is coming undone. Things that seemed unimaginable today will seem inevitable tomorrow.

‘Should you agree to do what I ask, you’ll have to trust me… even when every instinct tells you not to.

An idyllic bird’s eye view of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry was shown, before zooming into a window where Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander) leads a a group of his protagonists down one of its corridors.

With Callum Turner (Theseus Scamander), Jessica Williams (Eulalie Hicks) and Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalsk) in tow, the team are led by Dumbledore who invites them to step into a rapidly revolving scroll – transporting them to a yet-to-be-known location.

Fire-breathing dragons, quidditch and fireworks set the teaser alight and quench fans’ thirst for a follow-up film since 2018’s The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Mads recently admitted he regrets not speaking to Johnny before taking over the role, adding that he didn’t know if his treatment had been fair.

He told The Sunday Times: ‘I don’t know what happened [in his private life] and I don’t know if it was fair, him losing the job, but I just knew that the show was going on.

‘And I would’ve loved to have talked to him about it if I had the chance, but I just don’t know him in that sense.’

Going on to reveal he would be putting his own spin on the iconic role, he added: ‘My take is different, and the look is a little different, but we’ll have to wait for the film’s release to find out.’

The Danish star officially replaced Johnny as Gellert in the third Fantastic Beasts movie after the latter took to Instagram to reveal he had ‘been asked to resign by Warner Bros’.

Mads was said to be the top choice of director David Yates as the studio had waited to see how Johnny’s defamation lawsuit against The Sun would pan out.

When a British judge ruled in favor of the publication – which Johnny had sued for referring to him as a ‘wife-beater’ in regards to his relationship with ex-wife Amber Heard – Warner Bros. decided to sever ties with the veteran actor.

The Edwards Scissorhands star had only shot one scene of the sequel, though his ‘pay-or-play’ contract allows him to keep the full $10 million he was paid for the role.

The actor also has a defamation lawsuit against Amber in Virginia, which required him to be in court for three consecutive days in November, and would have also altered the project’s shooting schedule.

The studio notified the production that the Kentucky-native was taken off the schedule on November 5, according to The Hollywood Reporter, a day before Depp made his resignation public.

The studio released a brief statement shortly thereafter, indicating that the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be re-cast.

‘Johnny Depp will depart the Fantastic Beats franchise. We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date,’ the statement began.

‘Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently in production, and the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast. The film will debut in theaters worldwide in the summer of 2022,’ the statement concluded.

Mads’ star has risen in recent years with key roles such as Hannibal Lecter on the TV show Hannibal, and Galen Erso in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Johnny debuted as Grindelwald with a surprise cameo at the end of 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

He returned to star alongside Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander and Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore in 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is set to hit UK cinemas on April 8 2022.