Fantastic Beasts 2: Cast, Character & Harry Potter Connection Guide

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald takes us back to J.K Rowling's Wizarding world for the second of five Fantastic Beasts movies. The franchise stems from the short book that Rowling wrote under the name of Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, which was a text that Harry Potter studied at Hogwarts. From this, Rowling has weaved an elaborate web of intricate plotlines and characters, nearly all of which connects back to the Harry Potter universe in some way.

Fantastic Beasts 2 introduces some new characters, as well as some Harry Potter familiars - although they're significantly younger than they are in the books. There's also a returning cast, and with the Fantastic Beasts franchise expanding, here's our guide to who's who, and how they connect to Harry Potter.

This Page: Returning Cast from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Page 2: Fantastic Beasts 2's New Cast and Characters

Returning Cast

Eddie Redmayne is Newt Scamander: The magizoologist with a heart of gold, Newt is a lot smarter and more talented at wizardry than he seems. In fact, he looks set to be instrumental in tracking down Grindelwald. While Newt was the central character in the first Fantastic Beasts movie, The Crimes of Grindelwald is focused far more on the dark wizard and his rise to power. Newt Scamander is mentioned throughout Harry Potter as the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. His grandson, Rolf Scamander, eventually marries Luna Lovegood.

Katherine Waterston is Tina Goldstein: Tina is a powerful Auror who used to work for MACUSA. She was dismissed from her position when she attacked Mary-Lou Barebone for abusing her son, Credence. In Fantastic Beasts 2, Tina helps Newt to track Grindelwald. The two will eventually form a romantic relationship, going on to marry and have at least one child.

Alison Sudol is Queenie Goldstein: Queenie is Tina's sister, and a very talented legilimens. She fell in love with Jacob, a No-Maj, who eventually had his mind wiped. However, the pair are set to reunite in Fantastic Beasts 2, though whether that's a permanent relationship or not, remains to be seen. She is not connected to the Harry Potter universe, other than her being the future sister-in-law of Newt.

Dan Fogler is Jacob Kowalski: Jacob is a No-Maj who, thanks to Newt's wizardry in the first Fantastic Beasts movie, now runs a bakery in New York. He did have his mind wiped, but has found his way back to Newt, Tina and Queenie, and is once again helping Newt with his magical creatures. He is not connected to Harry Potter.

Credence Barebone in Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald

Ezra Miller is Credence Barebone: Credence is now roaming across Europe as part of a magical circus after escaping the clutches of his puritanical adoptive mother, Mary-Lou. He is an obscurial: a wizard with a powerful and uncontrollable dark magic (an obscurus) inside of him. Credence is not mentioned in Harry Potter, but he's about to become a key player in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. One of Credence's biggest desires is to trace his birth family, and he's set to be connected to some major Harry Potter players.

Johnny Depp is Gellert Grindelwald: Grindelwald was captured at the end of the last movie, but he quickly facilitates an escape and heads to Paris to amass followers. Grindelwald (like most powerful dictators) is very good at preying on people's fears and insecurities, presenting his way as the only way. As a result, a lot of fundamentally good people become caught up in his dark reign. Grindelwald is mentioned often in Harry Potter, and has always been a significant character. Along with Dumbledore, he became obsessed with tracking down all the Deathly Hallows in order to have eternal life. He and Dumbledore were in love, but their relationship came to an abrupt end when they became involved in a three way duel with Aberforth, Albus Dumbledore's brother. During the fight, a stray curse struck and killed Ariana Dumbeldore, Albus' sister. Grindelwald then stole the elder wand from Gregorovitch and left Britain to continue with his task. In 1945, he met Dumbledore again in a now legendary duel, which Dumbledore won, earning possession of the elder wand.

Page 2: Fantastic Beasts 2's New Cast and Characters

Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald's New Characters

Jude Law is Albus Dumbledore: One of the most prominent Harry Potter characters of all time (apart from Potter himself), Albus Dumbledore eventually became headmaster of Hogwarts, and a very influential figure in Harry Potter's life. Before that, though, he was a young Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who remained friendly with Newt Scamander, an ex-pupil. In Fantastic Beasts 2, he calls upon Newt to help him track down Grindelwald, as he can't move against him. Though the pair (supposedly) share a romantic history, and there's obviously a lot of hurt and pain. Grindelwald and Dumbledore don't share any scenes together in The Crimes of Grindelwald, nor are there any explicit references to their relationship. However, going forward, Law as Dumbledore will have an ever more prominent role in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

Claudia Kim is Nagini: The name of Kim's character was not initially revealed, but we now know she's Nagini. Kim will be part of the traveling circus with Credence. As a Maledictus she has the ability to change into a snake, but the curse of this is that one day she will lose her human form on a permanent basis. She will become the snake of Lord Voldemort; a loyal, faithful companion and also one of his horcruxes. She will eventually be beheaded by Neville Longbottom at the Battle of Hogwarts. The question is; is Nagini a good person in Fantastic Beasts? Did she change sides or was she actually enslaved to Voldemort with no other choice?

Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald Leta Lestrange Grindelwald

Zoe Kravitz is Leta Lestrange: Leta was mentioned in the first Fantastic Beasts movie, and featured briefly in a moving picture that Newt had. It seems as though the two have some kind of romantic past, but in The Crimes of Grindelwald, Leta is very much committed to Newt's brother, Theseus. We're listing her as a new character, because this is the first time in the franchise that she'll feature in a speaking capacity. Of course, Leta's last name says it all; she's part of the Lestrange family, who will eventually become some of Lord Voldemort's most loyal and fervent supporters. Rodolphus Lestrange marries the notorious Bellatrix, but we don't yet know how Leta is related to him - whether he's her son, nephew, or another relative. For now, though, it seems as though Leta is firmly on the good side, so what goes wrong for the Lestrange's?

Callum Turner is Theseus Scamander: The Crimes of Grindelwald introduces us to Newt's older brother, Theseus. He's an Auror, and a very talented wizard. He is also engaged to Leta Lestrange. He will help Newt in the fight against Grindelwald. His only connection to the Harry Potter universe is his connections to Leta and Newt.

Fiona Glascott is Minerva McGonagall: There were certainly some eyebrows raised at this casting announcement. Minerva McGonagall, brilliantly played by Maggie Smith in the Harry Potter series, was born in 1935. The Crimes of Grindelwald is set in 1927, and yet Glascott is playing a young McGonagall. Rowling has given McGonagall a long and detailed backstory on Pottermore, and yet she's apparently an adult in 1927 - unless McGonagall is going to appear in some kind of flash-forward.

Brontis Jodorwsky is Nicolas Flamel: The creator of the Philosopher's Stone, Flamel lived until at least 665 years of age, thanks to another of his creations, the Elixir of Life. He was also a close friend of Albus Dumbledore. In The Crimes of Grindelwald, he makes an appearance and meets Newt and Jacob (who mistakes him for a ghost), but it's thought that his role is not hugely substantial. He's mentioned on and off in the Harry Potter series, but it's mostly his invention that's the subject of attention, and the object that Voldemort seeks in the first book/ movie in the franchise.