Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore must finally address the relationship between Grindelwald and Dumbledore or risk losing legions of many lifelong fans. The film, set to release on April 15th, 2022, has substantial ground to cover to keep its audience intrigued. Major setbacks, including pandemic delays, losing Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, and decisions that have allegedly retconned previously established material have threatened the success of the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s past relationship, a burgeoning part of the story that the films have yet to address, must be finally depicted if the franchise has any hope of keeping the investment of its viewers.
The Secrets of Dumbledore, the third installment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, brings back David Yates as director, as well as the recurring talents of Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Ezra Miller (Credence Barebone), and Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore). Though details about the plot have not yet been released, the film will likely have to contend with Grindelwald’s continued rise to power, as well as the revelation that Credence is somehow a long-lost Dumbledore by the name of Aurelius.
However, the severely neglected relationship between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald is one of the more important topics the film should address, especially considering the subtitle. Since Rowling has confirmed that Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s past relationship was a romantic one, continued avoidance of the relationship would be a grave disservice to Dumbledore's character and the LGBTQ+ community. If the title happens to be yet another misdirection (for example, if the secrets are regarding Aurelius Dumbledore), the franchise will most likely lose many formerly ardent supporters.
Harry Potter fans were dubious when author J.K. Rowling disclosed Albus Dumbledore’s sexual orientation in the months after the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007. Many fans were pleased to have LGBTQ+ representation in the Harry Potter universe but some criticized Rowling’s failure to disclose Dumbledore's sexuality in concrete terms in her novels. Rowling has stated that she has “always thought of Dumbledore as gay” but has failed to do more than hint at that representation in actual canon media. To many, Rowling’s announcement seemed like a second-rate attempt to include LGBTQ+ representation after the books had already been published.
Admittedly, Dumbledore’s sexual orientation is not a subject that necessarily had to be addressed in the Harry Potter series. However, since Rowling made a point to disclose his sexuality and later create a movie series that involves Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and their ultimate confrontation, it then becomes paramount to explore the true nature of their relationship. The Blood Pact between Dumbledore and Grindelwald from Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (which prevents battle between the two) is the perfect example of how the films hint at the nature of their relationship and yet fall frustratingly short of defining it in full terms. LGBTQ+ representation is vital in mainstream media; since their relationship will likely be a factor in the climactic battle of the series, any attempt to gloss over the representation comes at the expense of the story and characters.
Ultimately, Harry Potter fans have been less than thrilled with the Fantastic Beasts films, and it is unlikely that this particular film will turn the tides of the franchise’s success. However, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has the opportunity to properly explore the long-neglected defining relationship of Albus Dumbledore’s youth and finally provide the accurate representation that he did not explicitly receive in the books.
