Newt's family is expanding in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2. According to Variety, Callum Turner is in talks to play Newt Scamander's brother in the second volume of the new wizarding world series, and his presence could mean there are big things ahead in Fantastic Beasts 2. If Turner takes on the role, he will be playing Theseus, Newt's older brother and a powerful auror.
While he was only briefly mentioned in the first film, it was revealed Theseus is on the hunt for Grindelwald — you know, the love of Dumbledore's life and a dangerous wizard who believed those with magic should overthrow muggles. Since it was previously announced Johnny Depp will be starring as Grindelwald in the second film, and Jude Law recently signed on as a young Dumbledore, all of the pieces for a major battle are in place.
For Newt, having Theseus around could inspire both a bit of sibling rivalry and a darker turn for the franchise. This isn't just a story about cute, and sometimes dangerous, creatures anymore. It sounds like J.K. Rowling is ready to take a deep dive into the backstory of two of her most famous characters while showing their journey through the eyes of the Scamander brothers.
Breakout Green Room star, Turner, is the perfect choice to bring Newt's big brother to the screen. Not only does he bare a striking resemblance to Eddie Redmayne, he is an up-and-coming talent with the ability to make Theseus his own. As a brother and an auror, Theseus' loyalties are likely to be tested, and he and Newt could even end up on separate sides of the debate on what to do about Grindelwald.
There was a time when Dumbledore was quite the revolutionary, and as a result the 1920s were a turbulent decade for the wizard community as Grindelwald and Dumbledore's ideals began to diverge. With the addition of these two legacy characters and Theseus, Fantastic Beasts 2 is setting itself up to explore an often talked about, but little seen, chapter of the Harry Potter backstory.
After all, Grindelwald was in possession of the Elder Wand during this era, and his growing threat to both the muggle and wizarding worlds led to an epic battle. Now, long-time fans of the Harry Potter universe are going to get to see that battle play out, and discover how the Scamander brothers fit into the picture.
The addition of Theseus is only going to make the Fantastic Beasts story richer. Get excited, Potter fans, because the adventures of the Scamander brothers are sure to take the expanded Harry Potter universe to unexpected and thrilling new places.