The Fantastic Beasts has hit a bit of a rocky road as of late. The previous film wasn't exactly well-received and there's been plenty of controversy surrounding one of the lead actors. While we don't want to jump into the specifics of the case, there are still calls to recast Johnny Depp.
Depp portrayed the titular character, Grindelwald. The villain of the film was interesting and complex although many preferred the portrayal in the first film. Now that Warner Bros. is prepping for the third film in the series, the question remains of whether Johnny Depp should be recast. Here's 5 points supporting that fact he should leave and 5 saying that he should not!
10 SHOULD LEAVE: COLIN FARRELL
The first film had Colin Farrell as Grindelwald. Throughout the story, he was actually taking Polyjuice Potions to hide his appearance. In the final moments of the movie, this facade was removed and Johnny Depp was revealed to be the true dark wizard.
At the time, many fans questioned that choice and that certainly hasn't changed since. Colin Farrell was brilliant in that initial film and it was a great shame to see him leave. There are ways to bring him back, but perhaps removing Johnny Depp could result in a permanent return of Farrell.
9 SHOULD STAY: JARRING CHANGE
A casting change is always jarring for audiences. Harry Potter tried to avoid changing the cast as much as possible. One of the strengths of the series was the fact that we got to see three young actors grow as the film progressed, surrounded by the same teachers.
The big recast of note was Dumbledore, but that was due to the first actor dying, so they really had no other choice. By changing the casting for a major character this far into the franchise, Fantastic Beasts might leave fans quite confused and detract from this universe.
8 SHOULD LEAVE: FOCUS ON OTHER CHARACTERS
Grindelwald was a huge focus of the last film, which was a shame because there are so many other really interesting characters to explore. We already know so much about the dark wizard from the books and history of this world. We know less about Newt and his friends.
We wish we could have more fresh stories involving these new characters. By removing Johnny Depp, there might be less of a focus on Grindelwald and therefore other characters could shine a little brighter. This might improve the franchise in the long run.
7 SHOULD STAY: TALENTED ACTOR
It's difficult to argue against Depp's acting credentials. He's one of the most talented and well-known actors in the whole industry. By casting him as Grindelwald, you're immediately guaranteed a certain level of performance from the award-winning Depp.
However, does this always override other issues surrounding the production? If Depp's performance was terrible this would be a much easier decision to discuss. However, there's still a lot he could offer to the role, especially if the material improves.
6 SHOULD LEAVE: OTHER REPLACEMENTS
Johnny Depp's departure could open the door for other replacement actors to have a go at the role. This offers up a lot of different options and of course, fan casting would be out of control. This would add a bit more publicity to the franchise as well.
There are so many talented performers who have yet to be given a chance at getting a role at this level that by having Johnny Depp step down, it would give them a chance to really shine. If the studio chose this route, there are so many brilliant possible choices for Grindelwald.
5 SHOULD STAY: CRUCIAL TO THE STORY
The fact is, Grindelwald is pretty crucial to the story. By replacing him or removing the character altogether, it could hurt the production and the film itself. The last film was all about the Hitler-esque wizard and this new one is unlikely to be any different.
The series is ramping up to tackle the wizarding war that shook the world. That's difficult to achieve without a consistent Grindelwald throughout. Story-wise, it would, therefore, be less damaging to retain Johnny Depp and the role of Grindelwald.
4 SHOULD LEAVE: REINVIGORATE FRANCHISE
It can be argued that the Harry Potter franchise needs some kind of reinvigoration. It has become stale as of late and the next film isn't showing any signs that this will change. Big decisions need to be made in order to shake up what we're seeing and bring in something fresh.
Removing Depp and bringing in fresh blood might be a way to add a fresh coat of paint to a tiring series. Although we admit that Depp's acting could add some extra layers with some better material, a complete recast could also achieve the same thing.
3 SHOULD STAY: J.K. ROWLING'S SUPPORT
J.K. Rowling has supported the casting of Johnny Depp since day one and that's something which should be respected. The British writer knows these characters inside out and she clearly sees something in Depp that makes him perfect for Grindelwald.
Rowling's word is final and, if she supports Depp through all the controversies, then it says a lot about his character. She clearly stands by Johnny Depp and perhaps we all should too in this role.
2 SHOULD LEAVE: CONTROVERSIES
Depp has been surrounded by a number of personal controversies. While it has emerged that he seems to be a victim in part, there's a lot of different alleged issues that we simply cannot comment on. He could, in fact, be innocent, but that isn't great press for WB still.
While Depp deals with some of his personal issues, perhaps it's best that he steps back from the project. This would stop the Beasts franchise from being affected in any way by the actor's ongoing issues, whether it's through the press or the performance itself.
1 SHOULD STAY: LEGAL ISSUE
Having said all that, this is a legal issue that's up to the courts to decide. We cannot comment on a particular opinion but only wait for the facts.
It is not an issue for the public to decide. It's a legal matter for the courts to judge on and the studio should make a decision based on that. Due to the decisions made so far, therefore, Johnny Depp should be allowed to stay in the role.
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