Mads Mikkelsen is clearly keeping things close to the vest here. If we parse his comment one way, he could be confirming that talks are indeed taking place, that is after all what it says in the “newspapers.” Of course, if talks are still ongoing, as seems to be the case, you rarely hear one side or the other confirm that, as talks always have the potential of breaking down. What Mikkelsen is clearly not doing here is conforming that he will in fact become Grindelwald. While it could happen, the deal at the very least isn’t done.
Article source: https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2558995/fantastic-beasts-3-mads-mikkelsen-responds-to-johnny-depp-replacement-rumors