Fantastic Beasts 3 will be focused on Dumbledore, which is a simultaneously smart and disappointing direction to go in. The film, officially called Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, won’t be released until the spring of 2022, but the synopsis has already revealed it will involve Albus Dumbledore, his history with Gellert Grindelwald, and the mysteries that may have been left out of the Harry Potter films.
The shift towards centering Dumbledore in the story has been noticeable, especially since Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them didn’t include him at all. A younger Dumbledore (played by Jude Law) appeared in the second film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and he’ll have an expanded role in The Secrets of Dumbledore. With regards to marketing the film, putting Dumbledore in the title and having him be central to the plot is a good idea because it’s more likely to draw in fans who may not be too invested in Newt Scamander and his friends. Dumbledore is already an established character and has years on Newt in that regard.
It’s no surprise that Warner Bros. is utilizing a well-known fan-favorite to draw in audiences who might be interested in seeing what other secrets Dumbledore still has after all this time. However, focusing on Dumbledore is, after all these years of watching and learning about the character, a rather boring choice and direction for the Fantastic Beasts franchise to go in. After all, much of Dumbledore’s story was told throughout Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was revealed the Hogwarts Headmaster had a brother, Aberforth, a sister, Ariana, and was once friends with Gellert Grindelwald himself before the villain went down a much darker path. Drawing so much attention to Dumbledore as a crucial element to the plot of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore ultimately limits the scope of the Wizarding World.
Grindelwald’s story is also reminiscent of Voldemort’s in that he is a great and looming threat to the Wizarding World with a vast number of passionate followers. To that end, Fantastic Beasts 3 will certainly be retreading similar storylines that were touched upon in the Harry Potter franchise, but with a different character. What’s more, Newt has become a stand-in for Harry. He seemingly grows even closer to Dumbledore in the third film; it’s to the point of going on dangerous missions for him, something which emulates Harry and Dumbledore’s relationship, and also recalls aspects of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Instead of delving further into the magical world in which the story exists, the film is holding back from expanding the story beyond Dumbledore and the space in which he and those around him exist. There’s a whole world out there to explore, but the franchise is hindered by revisiting all too familiar characters and mirroring Harry Potter stories instead of branching out. That might be smart for marketing’s sake, but it isn’t exactly thrilling for viewers who might be wanting fresh storylines within that same universe, ones that go beyond the parameters Fantastic Beasts 3 seems to be limiting itself to maintaining.
