Mads Mikkelsen shares sweet interaction with Johnny Depp and says he'll always be Grindelwald

Mads Mikkelsen has shared a sweet interaction with Johnny Depp after taking over the role of Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

Earlier this week, the Dane ran into the actor at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival during the premiere of Depp's new movie Jeanne du Barry.

Mikkelsen posted a photo of them chatting intimately and he added the caption: "Grindelwald and Grindelwald."

Facebook/Mads Mikkelsen

Mikkelsen replaced the Pirates of the Caribbean actor in the Harry Potter spinoff after Depp was asked to step down in 2020.

Warner Bros. terminated Depp's contract following his unsuccessful libel trial against The Sun.

The UK newspaper had claimed that the star was abusive toward his ex-wife Amber Heard and Judge Andrew Nicol found these allegations to be 'substantially true'.

Following Warner Bros'. decision, the 59-year-old said he ‘respected and agreed’ to the request before adding that he planned to continue to fight to prove his innocence.

“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 penned to Instagram.

Alamy

"My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false," he said.

"My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time,’ he wrote, following a judge ruling that the newspaper’s headline branding him a ‘wife beater’ was ‘substantially true'."

Depp's remarks came after the studio issued a statement thanking Depp for his work while announcing his departure.

"Johnny Depp will depart the Fantastic Beasts franchise. 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," they said.

In the weeks that proceeded, IndieWire reported that Mikkelsen had replaced the actor in Fantastic Beasts 3.

In a 2022 interview with GQ ahead of the film's release, the Danish actor recalled what it was like stepping into the role after Depp's high-profile exit.

“Obviously, there was a situation that had to be solved overnight…They were just panicking," he explained.

But once he accepted the role of the dark wizard, Mikkelsen strayed away from Depp's portrayal.

“To copy him would be creative suicide…We had to make it our own," he added.

He also suggested there could be room for Depp to return to the franchise if he and the movie studio wanted it.