Johnny Depp’s 'Fantastic Beasts' Role Revealed

Just last week it was revealed that Johnny Depp would be joining the Fantastic Beasts universe with a cameo in the new film, and a recurring role in its sequels. And now, it has been confirmed that the character he will be playing is none other than…. Grindelwald!

For those not up on their Potter lore, Grindelwald is a legendary dark wizard whose magical misdeeds set him at odds with a young Dumbledore. He might not be Voldemort, but trust us, he’s dark AF. 

Depp had previously been linked to the role of Dumbledore, but according to director David Yates, he was their dream pick for the character who promises to be the long-term villain of the saga…

“The whole principal of casting the movie was go with the best actor,” said Yates. “Go for the most inspired, interesting, right fit for that character. And as we approached Grindelwald we thought, 'Who's going to take this in an interesting direction? Johnny Depp is a real artist.”

The search continues for the actor set to play the young Dumbledore, but in the meantime, we’ve got the first film to sink our teeth into! Co-starring Eddie Redmayne, Gemma Chan and Ezra Miller, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them will open in the UK on 18 November 2016.

- By George Wales @GeorgeWales85