MUMBAI: Mads Mikkelsen is in early talks to replace Johnny Depp as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

After playing Grindelwald in the first two "Fantastic Beasts" movies, Depp last week announced that he has been forced to exit the franchise after he lost his case against The Sun that published an article in 2018 alleging he was a "wife beater".

The third part of the film is currently in production in the UK.

According to a source close to the unit, Depp had shot one scene as Grindelwald before leaving the film, so Mikkelsen would not need to replicate much footage, reports Variety.

Grindelwald is a dangerous wizard who has a romantic relationship with Dumbledore. The character was also played by Colin Farrell in the 2016 "Fantastic Beasts" film, with the wizard using another identity in the narrative. He was later revealed as Grindelwald, with Depp taking over the role at the end of the first film in the series.

If Mikkelsen seals the deal, he will join Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol and Ezra Miller in the cast. "Fantastic Beasts 3" directed by David Yates is slated to release on July 15, 2022.

Mikkelsen is widely known for his starring role in the psycho thriller TV show "Hannibal", besides the arch villain Le Chiffre in the 2006 James Bond release, "Casino Royale".