Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is expanding J.K. Rowling's wizarding universe in new and exciting ways. By shifting the focus away from Harry Potter and onto Newt Scamander — and by moving the action from present day Great Britain to 1920s New York — the author is allowing for a whole new batch of characters to become fan favorites. However, that doesn't mean fans don't want to see some of their old favorites pop up in the new movie. And out of Harry Potter characters who could have been alive in the '20s, there's one who immediately comes to mind. So, is Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ?
Sorry, Dumbledore fans, but you won't see a young version of the Hogwarts headmaster in the new film. However, you needn't get out your pitchforks just yet. Fantastic Beasts is going to consist of five films, and wouldn't you know it, a young version of Albus Dumbledore is on tap to show up in the first sequel. This means you could see four new films featuring Dumbledore. Director David Yates told Screen Rant that casting has begun for a young Dumbledore, who will have a role to fill in the Fantastic Beasts sequel in 2018. So what's Dumbledore going to be doing in the new franchise?
Much of the remainder of the franchise is rumored to center on the relationship between Dumbledore and the dark wizard Grindelwald, who is being played by Johnny Depp in the series. One of Dumbledore's most legendary feats in his life was his battle against Grindelwald in 1945, considered the greatest wizard duel of all-time, in which he defeated the dark wizard and took possession of the Elder Wand. But prior to their big battle, the two were actually very close friends, and had plotted on taking over the world together at one point and leading a wizard revolt. Dumbledore obviously saw the light and changed his mind about the whole world-conquering thing, but Grindelwald never did.
The connection between the two runs even deeper than friendship, however, as some believe they were involved in a romantic relationship with one another. Rowling revealed that Dumbledore was gay in 2007, and noted that he was tragically in love with Grindelwald. Clearly things didn't work out between them, but it's not known if they were actually lovers or if Dumbledore's feelings for Grindelwald went unreciprocated (or maybe even unknown).
These could certainly be questions for the new franchise to answer, and with presumably four movies left to explore their relationship and what really happened between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, it's likely that fans will get some definitive answers.
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures; Giphy
