Johnny Depp has exited The Fantastic Beasts series. Depp’s low-key but high-profile firing from the franchise follows the actor losing his libel suit against The Sun, which labeled him “a wife beater.” Actress Amber Heard’s allegations against her ex-husband were the focus of the story. The judge ruled the allegation made by The Sun was “substantially true”.
Depp was going to return to the role of Gellert Grindelwald. After the judge’s ruling, Warner Bros. asked Depp to step down from the franchise. “I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected and agreed to that request,” he wrote on Instagram.
Following the ruling, Depp and his attorneys declared they plan to appeal the ruling, which the actor addressed in his statement as well. “Finally, I wish to say this,” he wrote. “The surreal judgement of the court in the U.K. will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal. My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false.”
Warner Bros. has already delayed the Fantastic Beasts sequel three times. It’s now due to come out in the summer of 2022. Warner Bros. confirmed the sequel is moving forward without Depp. “Johnny Depp will depart the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise,” a studio spokesman confirmed.” We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date. ‘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.”
Amber Heard, known best for Aquaman, alleged Depp was physically abusive during their marriage. Heard testified on behalf of the newspaper with details about Depp’s alleged drug abuse and subsequent violent behavior. The former Fantastic Beasts star’s legal team, however, attempted to argue Heard was the abuser. Heard admitted to striking him once, but to prevent him from allegedly assaulting her sister. The Sun’s lawyers argued Depp’s substance abuse altered his memory of the events.
The trial went on for weeks. In the end, the judge concluded Depp put Heard “in fear of her life.” Depp is also suing Heard for defamation over an article she wrote for The Washington Post, detailing her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse. Depp argues the article lost him his role in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Even without Depp involved in The Fantastic Beasts franchise, it remains a toxic and waning property for Warner Bros. For starters, screenwriter and “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling’s public comments about the transgender community have been called transphobic. In addition to Rowling, there’s the case of actor Ezra Miller. Earlier this year, a video came out of Miller appearing to choke a woman in a bar. Since the video came out, neither Warner Bros. or Miller have commented on it. The actor, however, will soon reprise his roles as Barry Allen in The Flash and Credence Barebone in Fantastic Beasts 3.
The Fantastic Beasts franchise is in a bad state with bad apples, not to mention the last film was a critical and commercial failure. Fans were not happy about Depp’s casting from day one. Initially, Rowling and director David Yates defended their decision to cast Depp in the main villain role.
