Like it or not, Johnny Depp is a significant part of J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them universe. Depp makes a small cameo in the film as Gellert Grindelwald, one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards of all time and Dumbledore's former best friend (and first crush). However, Rowling promises that Depp's Grindelwald will play a much larger part in the story to come. After all, she's got four more movies and two decades to plot through.

Though Rowling had nothing to do with casting the part of the charismatic Dark Wizard, she did give director David Yates her blessing on choosing Depp. The Harry Potter author told MTV News at the world premiere of Fantastic Beasts in New York City that it's been a "privilege" to work with Depp on crafting the character.

"Watching him create a character is fascinating," Rowling told MTV's Josh Horowitz on the black carpet. "It's been quite inspiring to me as the writer. I feel he's got quite an interesting approach to creating a character. It's a privilege to work with someone like that. It's very similar to the way Eddie [Redmayne] works and moves around and inhabits the character [of Newt]. The physicality is exactly right."

As for how Grindelwald's role in the franchise will expand in future films, here's what we do know: Rowling has confirmed that Fantastic Beasts will span a 19-year period and end with Grindelwald and Dumbledore's climactic duel for the Elder Wand. So we know both Dumbledore and Grindelwald will play major roles in the Fantastic Beasts series, but Rowling is staying mum on the nature of their relationship — for now.

"This is something that I knew a lot about when I was writing Potter, but it was pre-history," she said. "It was hinted at in the Potterverse. Now I get the chance to say what I know."

Sadly, we have to wait two years to find out in the next Fantastic Beasts installment.