The planned fourth installment of theFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themseries may never see the light of day, leaving some storylines unresolved. A prequel series to theHarry Potterbooks and movies,Fantastic Beastsfollows magizoologist and bestselling author Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne)who uses his knowledge of various magical creatures in the brewing conflict against the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp/Mads Mikkelsen). While the first movie was a wonderful addition to the Wizarding World,Fantastic Beastshas seen a steady decline in quality with each new installment.
Release date
Metacritic score
Audience score
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
2016
74%
66%
79%
2018
36%
52%
54%
2022
46%
47%
83%
The most recent news from Warner Bros. is thatFantastic Beasts 4is no longer in active development, with the project being shelved for the foreseeable future.The effect of gradually worse reviews forFantastic Beastshas been compounded by controversy surrounding the franchise,primarily concerning Johnny Depp and J.K. Rowling. Now, withHBO’sHarry PotterTV show rebooton the horizon, Warner Bros. is busy elsewhere with the Wizarding World, and someFantastic Beastsstorylines may never be finished.
10Grindelwald’s Rise To Power
Grindelwald Raises An Army Before His Final Duel With Dumbledore
From the firstFantastic Beastsmovie, the conflict that is set up to take up five installments is the rise and fall of Grindelwald, the most feared wizard in history before Voldemort. In the second and third movies,Grindelwald gains more followers and almost successfully makes a bid for the most powerful political position in the Wizarding World.After losing the election inSecrets of Dumbledore’s ending, Grindelwald flees again to begin plotting his next move.
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The implication is that more battles between Grindelwald’s army and the main characters will be fought before he is eventually defeated by Dumbledore in their famous duel.Grindelwald’s rise to power is also heavily implied to be linked to World War II in this setting,something the movies don’t touch upon. All the while, Grindelwald maintains an interest in the Deathly Hallows and uses their symbol as part of his iconography. Several facets of this conflict have yet to be explored, and now may never make it to the big screen.
9Dumbledore & Grindelwald’s Relationship
Dumbledore & Grindelwald’s Fraught Relationship Has Far-Reaching Implications
Secrets of Dumbledoresays outright that Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) was in love with Grindelwald as a young man, but it’s not clear if these feelings were reciprocated.TheFantastic Beastsmovies still weren’t completely finished with unraveling this dynamic,which has the benefit of being acted out by Law and Mikkelsen. While Dumbledore’s friendship and feelings for Grindelwald ended in tragedy for his family and emboldened Grindelwald, there are more consequences for it. Meanwhile, Dumbledore suggests to Harry that he put off fighting Grindelwald because of their past inHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows(book).
Dumbledore’s famous duel with Grindelwald where he wins the Elder Wand from him takes place in 1945.
Dumbledore’s famous duel with Grindelwald where he wins the Elder Wand from him takes place in 1945.Fantastic Beastsexplains that Dumbledore did not confront Grindelwald in part because of the blood pact they made,but this pact is broken at the end ofSecrets of Dumbledore, which takes place in the 1930s. When Dumbledore made a willing decision not to duel Grindelwald again just yet, it means thatFantastic Beasts 4would have had its work cut out for it in diving into these characters' attitudes towards each other.
8How Jacob Can Use Magic
Wizarding World Fans Were Confused By Dumbledore Giving Jacob A Wand
The laterFantastic Beastsmovies repeatedly frustrated longtimeHarry Potterfans by breaking the canon — which is what happened with the hugeFantastic BeastsMinerva McGonagall plot hole. Another such instance is inSecrets of Dumbledorewhen Dumbledore gives Jacob Kowalski (Dan Folger) a wand.Jacob is a Muggle and previousHarry Pottermaterial says that Muggles should not be able to use magic;Jacob waving a wand would probably result in injury, or just nothing happening.
Harry Potter’s magic system has always been scant about how certain people can use magic and why, but this subplot could have been the starting point forFantastic Beaststo delve into this matter.Fantastic Beasts 4might have appeased fans and expanded Wizarding World lore with an explanation of how Dumbledore crafted a wand for a Muggle, albeit one without as much direction as a wizard’s wand. However, this is a tall order, as this is an extremely confusing plot point.
7Yusuf Losing His Memories & Betraying Grindelwald
Audiences Don’t Know For Sure How Yusuf Was Able To Trick Grindelwald
Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam) is an interesting character introduced inCrimes of Grindelwaldwhose mentality and motivations aren’t fully explored. He is the older half-brother of Leta Lestrange (Zoë Kravitz), due to Leta’s father forcing their mother to leave her family to be with him through the Imperius Curse.Yusuf was charged by his father with finding Leta’s brother Corvus and killing him, but still loved his sister,as he grieves her inSecrets of Dumbledore.
In addition to not yet delving into Yusuf’s complicated feelings about Leta and their family history,Secrets of Dumbledoredoesn’t discuss the ramifications of his memories being taken away or how he fools Grindelwald. After arriving at Grindelwald’s fortress and saying he wants to join the cause,Grindelwald removes Yusuf’s memories of Leta, so Yusuf will no longer hate him for her death.Yet, despite Grindelwald having a Legilimens on hand, Yusuf still hides his planned betrayal until it happens.
6Will Aurelius/Credence Die?
Aurelius Leaving With Aberforth Is Ambiguous In Fantastic Beasts 3
InSecrets of Dumbledore, Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore (Ezra Miller) is revealed to be the son of Aberforth Dumbledore (Richard Coyle). Meanwhile,Aurelius' Obscurus is slowly killing him,after years of causing uncontrollable destruction. At the end of the movie, Aberforth reunites with Aurelius and leaves with him after the final conflict, seemingly with the intention of bringing him home until he dies. Aurelius is mostly tired from the curse and being caught between two sides of a war.
However,Aurelius is framed as one of the most important recurring characters inFantastic Beasts,and it is odd that the series would give him such an unceremonious exit. This suggests that there was a plan to bring him back inFantastic Beasts 4, which would mean a storyline revolving around saving his life. The concept of an Obscurus holds major implications forHarry Potterand has been further developed with each movie; how to safely remove it from Aurelius would have been the natural next stage of the story.
5Professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks
Lally Deserved Her Own Storyline In Fantastic Beasts
Secrets of Dumbledoreabruptly introduces another supporting character: Professor Lally Hicks(Jessica Williams), who teaches Charms at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, does additional work for Dumbledore, and is a fan of Newt’s writing. However, Lally is a generally likable character, bright and friendly but very skilled at dueling. InSecrets of Dumbledore, she is only there as another member of Dumbledore’s rogue band.
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Lally is an unfinished storyline becauseFantastic Beastsneeded to do more work to justify her being in the story, which may have been that she had a future important role to play.She is a natural segue into revealing more about Ilvermory,the North American school of magic. However, Lally should simply have an individual arc that further develops her character and motivations. There was some discussion of her having a romance with Newt’s brother Theseus (Callum Turner), which might come across as contrived but could be a way to expand both characters if handled well (viaCBR).
4Nurmengard Castle
Fantastic Beasts Shows Nurmengard But Not Its History
Die-hardHarry Potterfans knew what Nurmengard was when the location was re-introduced inCrimes of Grindelwald, representing a dark and intriguing kernel of Wizarding World lore.Nurmengard Castle is located in the Austrian Alps and was used as Grindelwald’s headquarters,as well as a prison for his enemies. After being defeated by Dumbledore, Grindelwald himself is imprisoned there until the end of his life, when Voldemort arrives to ask about the Elder Wand and kills him.
Fantastic Beastsshows glimpses of Numrengard at the height of Grindelwald’s powerbut doesn’t expose the mythos it holds in the Wizarding World.Fantastic Beasts 4should have at least clarified that this is a prison, maybe elevating it to the same horrific status as Azkaban. Then Nurmengard becomes a place of irony as it is used to hold Grindelwald, something else that made it an important storyline forFantastic Beasts.
3Nagini’s Curse
Nagini Disappears After Crimes Of Grindelwald Before Coming Back In Harry Potter
The lead-up toCrimes of Grindelwaldalso included the highly controversial reveal that Nagini (Claudia Kim) would be a major character, a young woman cursed to transform into a snake who would someday become Voldemort’s familiar and final Horcrux. Known as a Maledictus, Nagini has some amount of control over when she transforms, but will someday be overtaken by the curse and permanently become a snake. BecauseNagini is a snake inHarry Potter,audiences already know she does not escape this fate.
Fantastic Beasts abandoned Nagini’s story after her single outing with the franchise.
However,Fantastic Beastsabandoned Nagini’s story after her single outing with the franchise. She becomes close with Credence and travels with him for a time, before making it clear she does not trust Grindelwald and flees with Newt and the others.Nagini’s story has an ending, but the tragedy of how she gets there and how she might have tried to avoid it was another potential subplotfor the rest of the franchise.
2Voldemort Arriving At Hogwarts
Harry Potter’s Villain Backstory Timeline Overlaps With Fantastic Beasts
Tom Riddle a.k.a. Voledmort (played as a child and teenager by multiple actors) attends Hogwarts from 1938 to 1945, coinciding with the mainFantastic Beastsstoryline. This is in the back of the minds of the entire audience as the war with Grindelwald gets bigger, knowing that another threat is also at large. Notably,Riddle graduates the year that Grindelwald is defeated;this is also when he asks Dumbledore’s predecessor for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job.
Voldemort then returns to Hogwarts a few years later, when Dumbledore is now headmaster, to ask for his preferred teaching job again. Dumbledore rejects him, and he leaves to begin laying the groundwork for the next Wizarding War.The Tom Riddle/Voldemort storyline would likely only been a small part ofFantastic Beasts,but it would have been compelling to see the two events interact with each other and how what Dumbledore learns from Grindelwald informs his interactions with Voldemort.
1Newt & Tina’s Relationship
Newt & Tine Eventually Get Married & Have Children
Even as theFantastic Beastsmovies become more disappointing,Newt’s interactions and a budding romance with Auror Porpentina"Tina"Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) remain endearing.Tina is hardly inSecrets of Dumbledore, explained away by saying that she is now head of MACUSA’s Auror office and is unavailable to help Newt and the others with Dumbledore’s mission. Tina then touchingly reunites with Newt again for her sister Queenie (Alison Sudol) and Jacob’s wedding.
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Waterston possibly no longer wanting to play a large role in the franchise posed a complication whenFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themhad an obligation to see Newt and Tina’s romance through. However, other Wizarding World material confirms thatNewt and Tina do eventually marry and become parents;years later, their grandson marries Harry’s classmate and close friend Luna Lovegood. Even if this series doesn’t get another sequel, fans can rest assured that this happy ending will happen.
Fantastic Beasts
TheFantastic Beastsfranchise is a prequel and spin-off of theHarry Potterseries, set in the Wizarding World. It follows the adventures of Newt Scamander, a magizoologist who travels the globe studying magical creatures. The series expands into the political and social conflicts of the magical community, particularly the rise of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald and his confrontation with a younger Albus Dumbledore. The films focus on themes of friendship, loyalty, and the battle between good and evil, against the backdrop of a magical world in the early 20th century.
