Newt Scamander is the new hero of the Harry Potter world in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. However, just because Newt is the protagonist of this new film doesn't mean he'll always be the main character in the series going forward. There are plenty of corners of the wizarding world still unexplored on screen, and with JK Rowling planning for four other films in the Fantastic Beasts series, who knows where we'll go next — or who we'll meet along the way. One character sure to come up again is Newt's brother, who Fantastic Beasts sets up to be an interesting, if mysterious, character.
Newt's brother doesn't actually appear on screen in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , but he is referenced as a powerful wizard. Strangely enough, it's not through Newt that we find out he has a brother, but through Percival Graves (Colin Farrell), the Director of Magical Security in the USA. While Graves is investigating Newt and his magical case of magical beasts that are now loose in the city, he corresponds with Newt's brother, Theseus Scamander, a powerful auror in England. Theseus isn't really mentioned beyond this correspondence, but the fact that he is mentioned and is related to our dear protagonist, Newt, suggests he could play a role in films to come.
Theseus' relationship with Graves could be a clue as to his role in coming films. Based on the trailers, Graves doesn't exactly seem to be a good guy. In fact, he seems to be of the mindset that wizards should be ruling non-wizards (muggles, no-maj). "We've lived in the shadows for too long," he says in one of the trailers. Assuming that Graves wasn't just writing to Theseus to update him on his brother's magical beasts predicament, but to inform him of it because of a previous friendship, or allegiance, then Theseus might not be as welcoming to muggles/no-majs as his brother. Moreover, with the rise of Grindelwald on the horizon for the Fantastic Beasts series, one can only conclude that Theseus Scamander could actually be a villain. (Grindelwald, of course, is sort of the pre-Voldemort dark wizard who terrorized Europe and believed that wizards were better than muggles.)
If, as trailers suggest, Graves is actually more on the side of Grindelwald, then perhaps Theseus is too. Of course, this is all just speculation. Whether he be good or bad, Theseus will certainly be playing a bigger role in the series going forward. When asked whether or not future films would focus on Newt, director David Yates told CinemaBlend, "The story revolves around Newt. And he's got a brother, as well." This casual mention of Theseus essentially confirms his importance. But, again, it could mean anything. It could be a tease of what's to come, or a false trail to lead fans off track.
If there's anything I've learned from years of watching fantasy movies, it's that you can never trust anything. For now, I'll stick with the Scamander we know, not the one we have yet to meet.
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures; fantasticbeasts/tumblr
