Mads Mikkelsen May Replace Johnny Depp in ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ According to Reports | 22 Words

Following his highly-publicized departure from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, fans have had some news about who may replace his iconic character...

Johnny Depp isn't having a great time right now.

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 The Kentucky born actor, who has been renowned in Hollywood since the 1990s, has been embroiled in a highly publicized domestic abuse scandal with his ex-girlfriend, Amber Heard, for the last 4 years.

But last week, Depp publically lost his libel case against The Sun newspaper...

Who he was suing after they branded him as a "wife-beater" in one of their headlines. Obviously, this was a devastating loss for the actor, whose reputation now hangs on the line.

He was even forced to resign from his role as Grindlewald in the third Fantastic Beasts movie...

And today, it has been rumored who may be replacing Depp's character.

Now, no one could have ever predicted that the actor would be wrapped up in such a highly-publicized scandal.

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 After meeting on the set of The Rum Diary in 2011, the actor started dating Texan actress and model, Amber Heard, shortly after calling it quits with his long-term partner, Vanessa Paradis. And, for the most part, this coupling seemed to be the start of a promising relationship.

At first, the pair seemed perfect for each other.

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 Depp and Heard enjoyed a happy couple of years together, and would regularly attend red-carpet events as a couple, arm-in-arm, and seemingly madly in love.

They announced their engagement in 2014...

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 And, not ones to waste any time, hastily tied the knot just one year later in February 2015.

However, it was here when things started to go a little ship-shaped.

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 Their honeymoon period was a little short-lived as, just months after their marriage, Depp reportedly suffered a hand injury as a result of "smashing bottles and windows" during a heated argument with his wife.

For the next year, various reports of abuse between the pair continued to surface...

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 So it came as no shock when Heard filed for divorce in March 2016, just fifteen months after the couple had initially exchanged their "I do"s.

At first, the divorce seemed unsuspicious...

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 With many news outlets reporting that Heard had cited "irreconcilable differences" while filing the divorce petition.

But, only a few months into their separation...

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 Heard filed a restraining order against Depp, claiming that he had previously assaulted her.

It was a big allegation to make...

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 So people were confused when Heard retracted her allegations just one day before the hearing was due to be held.

But this didn't stop the world from turning against Depp.

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 Heard had alleged that the actor had hit her on several occasions, and even provided video footage of him flinging a glass of wine across the room in a fit of rage.

And, in 2018, the actress penned an article for The Washington Post where she opened up about her experience with domestic abuse and violence.

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 Though she didn't explicitly name her ex-husband in her op-ed, she did allude to the time period when, “two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out."

There was an outpour of support for Heard...

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 Who was even made the American Civil Liberties Union's "Ambassador for Women's Issues".

But, despite profusely denying all the allegations against him...

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 Depp found his career taking a hit as a result of the on-going scandal.

Fewer and fewer directors were hiring him for roles...

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 And his appearance in J.K Rowling's Fantastic Beasts sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald, was heavily criticized.

And, in 2018, he was dropped from his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow.

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 In a career-shattering announcement just 4 days after Heard's damning article, Disney announced that the actor would no longer be a part of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Though they didn't directly cite Amber's abuse allegations...

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 It was widely assumed that Disney, who has earned over $4.5 billion at the box office from the Pirates franchise, was trying to distance themselves from the actor and the scandal surrounding him.

However, Depp wasn't going down without a fight.

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 Last year, he filed a $50-million defamation case against Heard and presented evidence that he was the one on the receiving end of the abuse, not the other way around.

Shockingly, the actor alleged that he was the victim all along.

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 His defamation lawsuit read: “The op-ed [Heard's article] depended on the central premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her."

The lawsuit also stated that all of Heard’s claims were “categorically and demonstrably false"...

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 And listed down incidents of Amber’s alleged abuse since the start of their marriage, including punching and kicking, as well as staging her attacks.

The allegations are difficult to read.

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 "She hit, punched, and kicked me. She also repeatedly and frequently threw objects into my body and head, including heavy bottles, soda cans, burning candles, television remote controls, and paint thinner cans, which severely injured me," his lawsuit read.

And, to tarnish the actress' reputation and credibility even further...

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 Audio obtained by the Daily Mail was released that heard her admitting to attacking Depp.

As per the audio clip, she could also be heard taunting him...

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 "You are such a baby. Grow the f*** up, Johnny. You poke an animal enough, it is eventually, it doesn't matter how friendly it is, it's not cool," she could be heard saying.

The case was grueling...

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 And, more recently, Depp has been in court for his libel case against The Sun newspaper - whom he was suing over a 2018 article in which he was described as a "wife-beater."

Depp and Heard were in court as part of the 3-week long trial.

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While in court, both parties played pretty dirty, revealing compromising photographs of each other which have blown everything out of the water, yet again. And of course with the evidence came more allegations.

But last week, it was confirmed things haven't gone Depp's way.

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 He lost the controversial case against the newspaper and editor Dan Wootton.

As a result of this staggering loss, he is now required to pay substantial costs to the newspaper group.

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 "The Sun has stood up and campaigned for the victims of domestic abuse for over twenty years. "Domestic abuse victims must never be silenced and we thank the Judge for his careful consideration and thank Amber Heard for her courage in giving evidence to the court," said a spokesperson.

Things were quick to get even worse for the actor as he was then forced to resign from his role of Grindlewald in Fantastic Beasts 3.

The actor announced the news via his Instagram. In a statement, he vowed to "stay strong" and continue fighting to prove that the allegations made against him are "false." He captioned his post with: "The bigger the battle, the greater the victory."

There has been a glimmer of hope for Depp.

Though he will not be appearing in the upcoming movie, he will be receiving the full 8-figure salary he was set to earn, the Hollywood Reporter has claimed.

This comes after Depp shot one scene for the movie last month.

Per THR’s report: “Warner Bros. will be on the hook for Depp’s full salary, even though he only had shot one scene since production began on September 20 in London. Like many A-list stars, Depp had a so-called pay-or-play contract, which requires that he be fully compensated whether or not the film is made and even if it is recast. As is common with stars of his level, there was no morality clause in his contract, even though it was amended with each new installment. Technically, Depp was not fired by Warner Bros. but asked to resign. It is unclear what recourse it would have had if the star refused."

And now, fans have had a much-needed update on the new movie.

It seems the role of Grindelwald is set to be filled by a certain Hollywood actor, and fans have had a lot to say.

It has been strongly suggested that the role will be taken over by Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen.

Interesting, right? For more on Harry Potter, keep on reading...