Johnny Depp Fans to Boycott ‘Fantastic Beasts 3,’ Joins the Rest of Us Who Just Wish They’d Stop Making Them

Droves of people have lost their jobs due to COVID-19’s devastating impact on our socio-economic climate. Sadly, some may never get those jobs back. And then there’s Johnny Depp. Known for his ability to create quirky, endearing, and borderline (British) inebriated characters, Depp, like servers, security guards, janitors, and transportation workers, can no longer apply his talents to the industry in need of them.

Depp recently took to Instagram announcing that he would no longer be playing Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise; Warner Bros. confirming the decision in a separate statement. The news came just days after Depp lost a libel case against the UK tabloid The Sun over a 2018 article in which he was called a “wife-beater.” For fear of public opinion, the verdict prompted Warner Bros’ “suggestion” that Depp resign from Fantastic Beasts 3, adding Depp to the unemployment line. That, and the swift (yet apt) choice in replacement (Mads Mikkelsen is in “early talks”), has reverberated rage throughout the fandom. 

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Thousands have signed petitions created on Change.org demanding that Depp be reinstated to the franchise while others request that Depp’s ex, Amber Heard, face similar occupational consequences regarding her role in Aquaman 2. The former seems unlikely as filming for Fantastic Beasts 3 is already underway. Regardless, in our disinterest, we can now welcome Depp fans—we just wish they’d stop making these films.

Whether one is referring to the books or movies that inspired a generation, the Harry Potter franchise is magical. That magic, while present(ish) in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, was as effective as Ron Weasley’s broken wand in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Blame it on J.K. Rowling’s atrocious screenplay, “hot Dumbledore,” or a lack of Harry, Ron, and Hermione (aka characters we care about).  

Still, the show must go on. With $800 million and $650 million in worldwide box office earnings for the Fantastic Beasts entries, respectively, the Wizarding World will be milked for all it’s worth. Set to be released in the summer of 2022, and explore the relationship between Grindelwald and Jude Law’s Dumbledore—which was once best left in lore—Fantastic Beasts 3 is certain to do two things: not star Depp and be scoffed at by all those who found “Yer a wizard Harry” so exciting.

Cover Photo: Warner Bros.

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