Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore shows Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) wearing shoulder-length hair and dark clothes that mirror Snape's (Alan Rickman) style in Harry Potter, thus spoiling Credence's ending in the five-movie saga. Fantastic Beasts 2 came with a significant plot twist, as Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp/Mads Mikkelsen) revealed Credence's identity as Aurelius Dumbledore. Credence seems to embrace his newly-found identity in the third Fantastic Beasts installment by changing his style - its uncanny similarity to Snape's style is not a coincidence.
Severus Snape is arguably the most complex character in the Harry Potter series, being portrayed as a villain for most of the seven books before J.K. Rowling revealed his undying love for Lily Potter, and loyalty to Albus Dumbledore. In The Deathly Hallows, Snape becomes the true Harry Potter antihero. He protects Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) out of the selfish need to assuage his self-loathing at being partially responsible for Lily’s death. Snape's work to defeat Voldemort is similarly driven by his guilt and need for vengeance against the man who murdered Lily. While Snape is seen through Harry's eyes, and only revealed as the antihero late in the saga, Credence is introduced in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them as the antihero.
As a child, Credence was constantly abused by his adoptive mother, Mary Lou Barebone (Samantha Morton), and tortured by the Obscurus, which possessed Credence because Mary Lou forced him to suppress his magic. Throughout the three Fantastic Beasts movies, Grindelwald manipulates Credence, who believes only Credence is powerful enough to defeat Dumbledore (Jude Law). Credence joins Grindelwald at the end of Fantastic Beasts 2, but Queenie (Alison Sudol) senses "he's not sure he made the right choice." In Fantastic Beasts 3, Credence, just like Snape, abandoned his allegiance to the dark wizard to join Dumbledore, helping him end Grindelwald’s reign. Credence's unmistakable Snape-like style in Fantastic Beasts 3 spoils his character arc by mirroring an all-too-familiar Harry Potter antihero.
Credence Costume Selection Foreshadows His Snape-Style Antihero Turn
Credence's costume and hair change are so similar to Severus Snape's that it foreshadows his path in Fantastic Beasts 3 — consequently ruining his ending. Grindelwald abused Credence's need for an identity, telling him whatever he wanted to hear to secure his loyalty in his war against Dumbledore. But Grindelwald is only using Credence for his extreme Obscurial power, which manifests in moments of great distress. Credence also mirror's Snape's character in his arc. Both characters undergo a switch from the dark side to the light, with Dumbledore aiding heavily in that process. The only real change is the double agent aspect. Credence confirms to Grindelwald that he switched sides at the end of Fantastic Beasts 3 and that he's been communicating with his father, Aberforth Dumbledore, via a mirror.
Will Fantastic Beasts Get To Wrap Up Credence’s Story?
As of this moment, Fantastic Beasts 4 has not been greenlit. At the end of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, it's revealed that Credence's Obscurus is slowly killing him, so he plans to live out the rest of his days with his father, Aberforth. This is great for him, but it doesn't entirely wrap up Credence's story. If anything, it feels like a safety ending in case the franchise gets canned. Studios could (and might) argue that Fantastic Beasts 3 does provide a stopping point for the Fantastic Beasts story, turning a 5-part series into a trilogy. However, that's simply not true.
Along with Credence's story, there are plenty of others that don't get a fitting end. There wasn't an epic battle between Grindelwald and Dumbledore (certainly not enough to award a chocolate frog card, anyway). Newt and Tina, who was absent for all of Fantastic Beasts 3 save the very end, don't end up getting together. And Grindelwald is still technically at large. Because of the poor critical reception that the Fantastic Beasts movies have received, there very well might not be a Fantastic Beasts 4. Like Johnny Depp, Ezra Miller (who plays Credence) is under fire for several public assaults. If the controversy continues, he could be written out entirely or recast. However, Fantastic Beasts 4 might not even happen, so it may not matter in terms of the broader franchise's narrative.
Credence had just left his close friend Nagini behind (just like Snape once abandoned Lily for the Dark Lord), and, similarly to Queenie, he was stuck with Grindelwald as he felt he is the only one who can give him a sense of belonging. Changing loyalties might be a recurrent theme in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and in Credence's case, it's his new Snape style that predicted his antihero character change.