Colin Farrell reportedly won’t return as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3 because of The Batman

Fantastic Beasts Colin Farrell Grindelwald
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Fantastic Beasts 3 recently saw Johnny Depp depart the project after the Grindelwald actor was asked to resign by Warner Bros. after a court case. But the obvious (re-re)casting choice of Colin Farrell, who played the villainous wizard-in-disguise throughout much of the first Fantastic Beasts, is unlikely to come to fruition.

Variety reports that, because of Farrell’s work playing Oswald ‘Penguin’ Cobblepot on The Batman, he’s not going to be available for Fantastic Beasts 3 filming. Farrell – who stunned fans with his unrecognisable look as Penguin in The Batman trailer at DC’s FanDome event – had previously said he expects to be filming into 2021.

Update: Mads Mikkelsen has reportedly entered talks to replace Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3. Read more through that link.

What that means for the future of Grindelwald is unclear – Fantastic Beasts 2 ended with him plotting and scheming alongside Dumbledore’s long-lost brother, Aurelius. The character has transfigured and disguised himself before, with Grindelwald taking on the face of ‘Percival Graves’ (Colin Farrell). It stands to reason he could do so again with another actor.

Either way, we’ll find out a little later than originally planned. The Fantastic Beasts 3 release date has now been moved from November 21, 2021 to nearly eight months later on July 15, 2022.

Depp, meanwhile, actually filmed a scene for Fantastic Beasts 3 and will be paid an “eight-figure salary” according to THR despite leaving production.

The Batman itself is currently still filming – and, while new set photos and videos haven’t shown Farrell, there are shots of Batman and Catwoman racing through Gotham.

For more on what’s coming out soon, check out our guide to 2020 and 2021 movie release dates.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Latest in DC Movies
Heath Ledger as Joker in The Dark Knight
17 years after The Dark Knight was released, Michael Caine recalls being "floored" and "terrified" by Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker
The cast of Suicide Squad (2016)
David Ayer admits James Gunn has good reason not to release his cut of Suicide Squad, but he remains hopeful it'll happen
Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's Justice League
Ben Affleck reflects on the "excruciating experience" playing Batman in the Zack Snyder movies: "A lot of it was misalignment of agendas, understandings, expectations"
James Gunn
James Gunn reacts to Jason Momoa almost spoiling his Lobo costume in an interview: "I just want to profoundly thank Jason’s publicist"
Jason Momoa next to Lobo
Jason Momoa has gone method taking on the role of Lobo: "I asked everybody to call me by my character's name"
Batgirl movie
Unearthed Daredevil-like fight scene from DC's canceled Batgirl movie gives us a taste of what we could have had
Latest in News
Ultimate X-Men #14
Ultimate X-Men #14 pays homage to a classic Wolverine moment as the Shadow King returns
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Ubisoft reaches deal with Tencent to create $4.3 billion mini-Ubisoft subsidiary to "spearhead development" on new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six games
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last Of Us season 2
The Last of Us showrunner says he isn't worried about fan reaction to season 2: "The best way we could respect our fans and honor them is to not worry about them"
Black Myth: Wukong
English is no longer the biggest language on Steam as Chinese gamers embrace PC gaming even harder after Black Myth: Wukong
Skyrim
Ex-Bethesda dev says his new studio isn't making a "little Skyrim," but does channel a key part of the iconic RPG: "Stuff got built because somebody cared about building it"
Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen and David Harbour in Thunderbolts
The new Thunderbolts teaser namedrops the Avengers twice, less than a day after the cast was confirmed for Doomsday