Johnny Depp Exits ‘Fantastic Beasts 3,’ and Harry Potter Fans Are Weighing In

Johnny Depp left the Fantastic Beasts franchise on Friday, and fans have mixed feelings. Since the news broke, fans have grappled with the information they were given, trying to read between the lines and determine whether they wanted Depp to walk away or not. Many are now rallying on social media.

Depp published an open letter on Friday, saying that he was asked to leave the Harry Potter spin-off series, but that he “respected and agreed to that request.” This dismissal was apparently related to his libel lawsuit against The Sun newspaper for reporting that he had physically abused his ex-wife, Amber Heard, which he lost. Depp has claimed that Heard abused him, although his evidence was not permissible to the court. The media scrutiny and damage to his reputation apparently drove Warner Bros. to ask Depp to leave the production.

Fans were pulled in several directions by this news, all seeming to lead them to outrage. For one thing, many long-time Harry Potter fans disliked the two Fantastic Beasts movies so far, which colored their opinions of this case. Beyond that, many were split over Depp’s allegations against Heard and vice-versa.

Some fans were surprised to hear that there was another Fantastic Beasts movie in the works, assuming that the last movie’s lackluster box office performance would have squashed the whole franchise. In fact, Warner Bros. has plans for five Fantastic Beasts movies in total, all with scripts written by J.K. Rowling herself. There is nothing to suggest that the studio is scrapping these projects, even without Depp on board. Here is a look at how fans felt about all this information as of Monday.

Full Salary

Days after the news of Depp’s dismissal broke, another story cropped up revealing that Warner Bros. would still have to pay the actor his full salary for the movie. For some of his supporters, this was a good consolation prize.

Petitions

Many of Depp’s fans rallied together with petitions to get him back in the movie, tagging Warner Bros. and other companies involved directly. Others tried to boost the visibility of related hashtags and trending topics.

Fire Heard, Too

Rather than wanting Depp reinstated, some fans called for Warner Bros. to fire Heard as well. Heard has a starring role in the Aquaman franchise, and is expected to appear in Aquaman 2. Although she has not been convicted of any wrongdoing, some fans believe she was the one who abused Depp, not the other way around.

Franchise

With or without Depp, many fans took this time to voice their criticism of the Fantastic Beasts franchise altogether. Many Harry Potter fans disliked the first two movies and were not excited for more — no matter who was cast.

Recast

Regardless of how they felt about Depp, some fans were put off by the idea of a recast in the middle of a series, feeling that it would throw the whole franchise off.

Doubts About Completion

The news of Depp’s departure revived doubt among some fans that the Fantastic Beasts franchise would be finished at all. After the mediocre box office performance of the second installment, some thought that there was no way the studios would make all five planned movies.

Off-Screen Death

Finally, some fans hoped that instead of recasting the role, the series would somehow just ignore Depp’s character for the remaining three movies. As unlikely as this course is, it gave some fans a chuckle on social media this weekend.