Johnny Depp discusses _ Fantastic Beasts_ recasting

Entertainment Jul 09, 2025

Johnny Depp has opened up about why he was dropped from the Fantastic Beasts movies.
After losing a libel case against The Sun in 2020 (which followed abuse allegations from ex-wife Amber Heard), he says Warner Bros. asked him to step down.
As Depp put it, "They said we'd like you to resign. But what was really in my head was they wanted me to retire."

Depp played Grindelwald in 2 films

Depp first played Grindelwald in 2016 and returned for the sequel, but his legal troubles and public scrutiny led Warner Bros. to replace him with Mads Mikkelsen for the third film in 2022.

Depp's career post the legal battle

Since then, Depp's kept a lower profile—he starred in Jeanne du Barry (2023) and directed Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, while still navigating legal battles with Heard through 2022.