A report dropped shortly after the news that Depp was gone that Warner Bros. was talking to Mads Mikkelsen about taking over the role.
The newest Fantastic Beasts film was thrown into upheaval just as production was getting underway when Warner Bros. decided to cut ties with Johnny Depp, who had previously played the big bad Grindelwald.
However, Mikkelsen himself seems to be indicating he doesn’t know anything about it.
While a delay in release for the film gave the studio more time to find a replacement, there was clearly an interest in finding a new actor quickly.