The second official trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore hints that the film will fix the franchise's biggest problem surrounding Dumbledore and Grindelwald. The third installment in the Harry Potter prequel franchise will further explore the character of Credence Barebone - or Aurelius Dumbledore, as Grindelwald revealed at the end of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. With The Secrets of Dumbledore set to delve deeper into the younger years of the titular Hogwarts headmaster, it seems as though the film will also be fixing one of Fantastic Beasts' biggest oversights.
Within Harry Potter's canon, Dumbledore and Grindelwald once shared a romantic relationship after the pair first met as teenagers. In those years, they also made a blood pact never to fight one another, something which the trailer seemingly reveals is broken in Fantastic Beasts 3. While both characters have played a major role in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, their past isn't something that has been properly explored.
However, one particular scene from the official trailer indicates that The Secrets of Dumbledore will fix that oversight. Dumbledore and Grindelwald can be seen sitting at a table and heard calmly discussing the upcoming war. While the trailer also seemingly shows the pair engaged in a duel, this conversation is intriguing. The peace between them is likely due to the blood pact made by Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but the two sharing a conversation could mean that the franchise will finally address their relationship in a meaningful way.
It's long been established that Dumbledore was gay, and his relationship with Grindelwald has been an enticing key part of the character's backstory. However, Fantastic Beasts has skirted around the pair's relationship, which has proved frustrating for those fans hoping to better understand their history. The film's title implies that Dumbledore's past will be examined more closely, but the trailer indicates that there may be more to it than a simple explanation.
As the scene shows the two men engaged in conversation, it seems that Fantastic Beasts 3 will explain the Dumbledore mystery in what may be the most satisfying way possible. Instead of simply showing it via flashback or revealing their history through expository dialogue, the two sharing a civilized conversation is perhaps the best way to fix the Fantastic Beasts issue. It allows fans to see first-hand the dynamic between the pair, but it also allows for the two actors to share some genuine chemistry—something which shouldn't be a problem for celebrated actors Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen—potentially setting up a satisfying answer to fans' burning questions.
Exactly how the pair's differences will ultimately be resolved has already been revealed, as in Harry Potter lore, it's said that Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald in 1945. However, the specifics of their relationship (and of Dumbledore's past) haven't been fully explored yet. This means that Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has a lot of work to do in order to fill in the blanks of the wizard's life, but it can also fix a significant Fantastic Beasts issue in the process.
