Johnny Depp was once one of the biggest actors in the world after starring in films like Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, in recent years, Depp has been beset with controversy, causing him to take a step back from the spotlight.

These days, Depp only appears in a few films here and there. Still, he does have one high-profile project in the works, the Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3 — and some fans are none too happy about it. Read on to learn about Depp’s past controversies and who fans want to replace him in the upcoming film.

Johnny Depp has problematic drama with his ex-wife

Johnny Depp | Samir Hussein/WireImage

Depp has had a long relationship history with some of the industry’s hottest insiders. He was first married in 1983 to a makeup artist named Lori Anne Allison, but the two divorced two years later. He was later engaged to actress Jennifer Grey, followed by Sherilyn Fenn in the late eighties, as he was just becoming a big Hollywood star, but neither engagement resulted in marriage.

Depp was in a high-profile relationship with Winona Ryder, his co-star in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands, but the two broke up in the early nineties. Following the dissolution of his relationship with Ryder, he dated supermodel Kate Moss for four years, from 1994 until 1998.

Depp’s longest relationship was with the French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis. The two started dating in 1998 and went on to welcome two children together. They never married but stayed together until 2012, when they split for unknown reasons.

Depp didn’t stay single for long and was soon spotted with actress Amber Heard, whom he had worked with on 2011’s The Rum Diary. Depp and Heard were married in 2015, but reportedly, the union was fraught with tension from the beginning.

A little over a year later, Heard filed for divorce from Depp and went on to claim that the actor had verbally and physically abused her. Heard even released photos that appeared to reveal she had black eyes and bruises on her face, ostensibly from a confrontation with Depp. Their divorce was highly contentious, with Depp disputing the abuse allegations.

Some people want Johnny Depp to be ‘canceled’

The divorce between Depp and Heard caused a lot of mixed emotions in Depp’s fanbase. Some argued that Heard was lying about the abuse and that she was simply looking for a come-up by being linked to a powerful actor.

Many claimed that victims of abuse should be believed under any circumstances and that there was no reason to assume that she was lying. In any case, a great many people feel as though Johnny Depp should be “canceled” — that is, phased out of popular culture due to his indiscretions.

Who do fans want to replace Johnny Depp in ‘Fantastic Beasts’?

The Harry Potter franchise stirred up some controversy when Depp was cast in the first spinoff, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Similarly, fans are speaking up again now, with the third installment in pre-production and set to release in 2021.

Many have pushed for the popular British actor Benedict Cumberbatch to replace Depp in the film. Cumberbatch does seem to be a natural choice for the film, seeing as to how he has experience playing both heroes and villains in big-name film franchises.

Whether or not Depp’s role in the upcoming film will be recast remains to be seen. But franchise creator J.K. Rowling has defended the casting of Depp in the past, so it does seem unlikely unless fan outcry increases significantly.

“Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the film-makers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies,” Rowling wrote.