Film critics have suggested Mads Mikkelsen outshines Johnny Depp in the role of Gellert Grindelwald as he took over the character for the latest Fantastic Beasts film.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor first introduced audiences to the evil wizard Grindelwald in the 2016 film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which was followed by the 2018 sequel The Crimes of Grindelwald.
News of Mikkelsen's role in the project was confirmed in November 2020, after Depp was asked to resign from the latest film, The Secrets of Dumbledore, following his loss in a libel case against The Sun.
Reviews for the new film began emerging over the weekend following its release on 8 April, marking Mikkelsen's debut in both the role and the franchise.
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While the film itself has received mixed reviews, many critics have agreed Mikkelsen performed better as Grindelwald than his predecessor.
In a review for Insider, critic Kirsten Acuna wrote: "With Depp, I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to follow a wizard who comically looked like another bizarre invention out of the actor’s menagerie of eccentric characters he’s played over the years.
"In contrast, Mikkelsen plays Grindelwald with a suave, charming charisma that convinces you of why anyone would be seduced by this alluring, handsome wizard and be suckered into fighting a war for him... Mikkelsen slips into the role of Grindelwald so naturally that it’s easy to forget Depp had ever played the role.”
For Variety, Peter Debruge described Mikkelsen playing Grindelwald 'in a more grounded, less cartoonishly menacing vein'.
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Members of the general public agreed, with one person writing on Twitter that Mikkelsen was 'born to be Grindelwald', adding: "He's so much better than Depp as Grindelwald TBH."
Another commented: "I wasn't sure about him... but now that I've seen Mads, I can safely say he's the PERFECT Grindelwald. Much better than Johnny, by far."
Depp has also received some support in the aftermath of the film's release, though, with one viewer saying Depp should have continued in the role of Grindelwald, as he makes the character 'come alive and would have made the film so much better'.
Mikkelsen spoke about taking over the role during an interview with Supanova Comic-con and Gaming, admitting that while he was 'thrown into' the role later than the other cast members, they 'adopted' him as part of the family.
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"My journey was fast, swift, but I felt at home right away," he said.
After losing his lawsuit against The Sun, Depp said he intended to continue 'fighting to prove that the allegations against [him] are false'.
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Topics: Johnny Depp, Film and TV, Entertainment, Celebrity
