"F*** You": Johnny Depp Opens Up On Being Fired From The FANTASTIC BEASTS Franchise

"F*** You": Johnny Depp Opens Up On Being Fired From The FANTASTIC BEASTS Franchise

Johnny Depp played Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and the actor has now revealed how he felt to be dropped from the series.

By JoshWilding - Jul 07, 2025 01:07 PM EST
Filed Under: Harry Potter
Source: The Telegraph (via SFFGazette.com)

With Johnny Depp part of a very public legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, Warner Bros. made the controversial decision to replace him as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

Doctor Strange and Casino Royale star Mads Mikkelsen stepped in to pick up where Depp left off with the threequel, and the response to his take on the villain was a positive one for the most part. However, fans and critics liked little else about the sequel, and the franchise has since been scrapped (leaving the story unresolved and unlikely to ever be concluded). 

Depp's dismissal is far from the sole reason The Secrets of Dumbledore grossed only $407.2 million worldwide on a $200 million budget. However, the fact that he was essentially fired after shooting one scene didn't foster much goodwill from those who rallied around the Pirates of the Caribbean star in his war with Heard.

While Depp discussed leaving the project during 2022's Depp v. Heard trial, the actor talked more about being ousted from the Wizarding World in an interview with The Telegraph (via SFFGazette.com).

"Listen, they’ve said all kinds of things out there in the world about me, and it doesn’t bother me. I’m not running for office," he started. "It literally stopped in a millisecond, like, while I was doing the movie. They said we’d like you to resign. But what was really in my head was they wanted me to retire."

Asked what his response to that was at the moment, Depp added, "F*** you. There’s far too many of me to kill. If you think you can hurt me more than I’ve already been hurt you’re gravely mistaken."

Depp played Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Mikkelsen did a fine job, but the sudden casting change proved jarring.

While Depp has mounted a comeback over the past couple of years, he's yet to star in another big budget mainstream project. As yo can see below, there are still rumblings that Disney wants him back for another Pirates of the Caribbean movie, and that would be a potential game-changer for the actor's standing in Hollywood as he looks to return to the A-List.

"It was very intimidating," Mikkelsen previously said of filling in for the actor. "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," he continued. "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."

Weigh in with your thoughts on Depp's remarks in the comments section below. 

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AllsGood
AllsGood - 7/7/2025, 1:22 PM
Stay Retired Johnny.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 7/7/2025, 1:28 PM
@AllsGood - Unless they cast him in a MCU movie right?

Johnny Depp cast as Jean Grey. Marvel just keeps on winning.
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dragon316
dragon316 - 7/7/2025, 2:41 PM
@AllsGood - Liam neeson , older than Johnny deppp still doing movies maybe Jackie Chan as well , anthony hopkins is 87 still making movies
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 7/7/2025, 1:23 PM
In name of all CBM fans in this site i declare Johnny Depp CANCELED Again for being rude to the billionares in Epstein list
theBlackSquare
theBlackSquare - 7/7/2025, 1:28 PM
Lol that image.

"teach me how to be more problematic, master."
TheWinkler
TheWinkler - 7/7/2025, 1:35 PM
Of all the Grindlewald portrayals on those movies, I thought Collin Farrell was the most menacing of the bunch. I sincerely hoped they would just revert back to him after they dropped Depp.

Regardless, what a missed opportunity that franchise was. Had they just stuck to doing a series about magical beasts or done an entirely separate series about the Dumbledore and Grindlewald, it may have succeeded. Instead, they just put a nail in the entirety of that era of Harry Potter.
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 7/7/2025, 1:35 PM
"F*** you. There’s far too many of me to kill. If you think you can hurt me more than I’ve already been hurt you’re gravely mistaken."

Cripes, what a psycho.
dmac3232
dmac3232 - 7/7/2025, 1:41 PM
@Clintthahamster - This is the result of marinating in drugs and alcohol and living up your own a-hole for decades on end
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/7/2025, 2:18 PM
@dmac3232 - and being the victim of domestic abuse maybe?
tBHzHomer
tBHzHomer - 7/7/2025, 2:28 PM
@ObserverIO - do you give Amber Heard that same benefit? They were both abusive and terrible people.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/7/2025, 2:38 PM
@tBHzHomer - Of course I do.
WalletsClosed
WalletsClosed - 7/7/2025, 2:53 PM
@tBHzHomer - Depp didn't shit in the bed
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 7/7/2025, 1:48 PM
Johnny Depp for Myxlplyx!
CoHost
CoHost - 7/7/2025, 1:58 PM
Depp has finally become like his idol Brando, but not for the right reasons.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 7/7/2025, 2:03 PM
I don’t want to get into the Depp & Heard if it all again because it’s evident to me atleast it was a toxic relationship from both sides and both should get help as I have stated before.

In regards to him as Grindelwald , I personally was just tired of seeing Depp caked in makeup & such playing characters so even though I feel he did well in the role , I still preferred someone like Colin Farrell or Mads Mikkelsen to play that part.

Having said that , him moving his wand as a conductor was pretty sweet!!.

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TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 7/7/2025, 2:05 PM
Fantastic Beasts films ranking…

1.Secrets of Dumbledore
2.Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Then
3.Crimes of Grindelwald

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LenSpiderman
LenSpiderman - 7/7/2025, 2:11 PM
No big loss for Johnny, as these movies all fell a little short and obviously this branch of the franchise is currently dead in the water. That said, they missed a chance to avoid controversy by simply ignoring the recasting. Didn’t they use Colin Farrell in the role in the first movie? I would have been perfectly happy under the assumption that part of the character’s sinister vibe was that he was always changing his appearance to stay anonymous or be a more effective leader, etc.
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 7/7/2025, 2:16 PM
Doubt it would have made a difference in the end but it did feel wierd seeing him replaced in the 3rd one.
MisterDoctor217
MisterDoctor217 - 7/7/2025, 2:33 PM
He has an interesting take on Grindelwald but yeah Farrell was the best iteration methinks.

I love Johnny but I wish he would back to his usual self and try and have a good comeback.

But after all he’s done and been through I guess anyone would be broken down.

Idk if the man did wrong or not in his life (certainly not to Amber Heard) but at least he’s one or the few actors we haven’t found our some shady awful stuff about. Previous partners have only spoken well about him as have co workers.
Yes he was an alcoholic and drug addict , but so was RDJ and he gets praised and a welcome back.
Some people have it harder than others , we all have demons inside, nobody is perfect , we just have to try our best to come babe to the surface :/
asherman93
asherman93 - 7/7/2025, 2:38 PM
I view the Depp/Heard scandal the same way I view the Lively/Baldoni scandal - seems like a very personal relationship gone wrong; unless you happen to personally know any of the people involved, its none of my business.
GenD
GenD - 7/7/2025, 2:53 PM
Concentrate on music - rock loves a scoundrel.

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