Johnny Depp finally breaks his silence on his exit from Fantastic Beasts: 'They wanted me to retire'
finally addressed his controversial departure from the 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise. While filming the third installment, 'The Secrets of Dumbledore,' Depp was asked to resign following his loss in a UK libel case against 'The Sun,' which had labeled him a 'wife beater' amid allegations from ex-wife
Amber Heard
.
'It stopped in a millisecond, like, while I was doing the movie. They said they would like you to resign. But what was really in my head was they wanted me to retire.'
'F**k you. There are far too many of me to kill'
Depp's response to the studio's request was unapologetically defiant,
'F**k you. There are 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.' said Depp via Variety
He described the experience as being 'shunned, dumped, booted, deep-sixed, cancelled,' and felt the industry was trying to erase him entirely.
Grindelwald's legacy and franchise fallout
Depp first appeared as Gellert Grindelwald in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' with a full-fledged role in 'The Crimes of Grindelwald'. He had reportedly filmed just one scene for the third film before being replaced by Danish actor
Mads Mikkelsen
. Mikkelsen later acknowledged the challenge of stepping into Depp's shoes, 'I'm a big fan of Johnny. I think he did a fantastic job… There was no way I could just copy it. It would be creative suicide.' Said Mikkelsen via MSN
Despite Mikkelsen's performance, 'The Secrets of Dumbledore' underperformed at the box office and received mixed reviews, prompting Warner Bros.
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to pause the franchise and pivot toward a new Harry Potter series for HBO.
Legal battles and public scrutiny
Depp's exit came amid intense legal drama. Although he lost the UK libel case, he later won a defamation suit in the U.S. against Heard in 2022. The trials exposed deeply personal details, but Depp remained resolute: 'If I don't try to represent the truth, it will be like I've actually committed the acts I am accused of. And my kids will have to live with it.'
A new chapter: Directing and redemption
Since his departure, Depp has shifted focus to directing and independent projects. He helmed Modì, a biopic about artist Amedeo Modigliani, and is set to star in Day Drinker alongside Jason Momoa and Penélope Cruz.
'I'll fight until the bitter f***ing end. And if I end up pumping gas? That's all right. I've done that before.'
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