Tina Goldstein played a crucial role in the first two Fantastic Beasts films, so why is she hardly in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore? Played by Katherine Waterston, the American witch was first introduced in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, befriending Newt Scamander as they both found themselves embroiled in an unexpected adventure. Tina (whose full name is Porpentina) is an American witch and Auror with the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) at the start of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She helps to locate Credence Barebone in The Crimes of Grindelwald and is crucial in the fight against Grindelwald, who was beginning to rally followers at the time. But where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3?
In Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’s, Tina’s absence was noticeable. It was all a bit strange considering how big of a role she played in the first two movies, and there was speculation Tina Goldstein might not be in the third film at all. So, where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3? While Tina is present in Fantastic Beasts 3, her role has been greatly diminished, appearing in only one scene at the end of the film to celebrate Jacob Kowalski and her sister Queenie’s wedding. The Secrets of Dumbledore does explain why she’s not around to help Dumbledore and his allies against Grindelwald, but it doesn’t make all that much sense considering certain elements of the plot. Here’s why.
How Fantastic Beasts 3 Explains Tina Goldstein’s Absence
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore answers the question of where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3 not too long into its runtime. For the majority of the film, Tina Goldstein is nothing but a moving picture in Newt’s suitcase, tucked away until he opens it and sadly smiles at her. It’s clear from the brief exchange that Tina will not be a major player in Fantastic Beasts 3. Later, Newt explains to older brother Theseus that Tina has been promoted to Head Auror for MACUSA. Her new role is why she cannot join Newt and Dumbledore on their mission to thwart Grindelwald’s plans to be elected to the International Confederation of Wizards.
While Tina’s new responsibilities have surely left her with little time to journey across Europe, answering "where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3?" it’s possible her relationship with Newt, which had romantic tension, became strained in the years since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. They’re both fairly awkward people already, but their interaction at the end of the third film suggests something more may have happened between them besides Tina Goldstein being promoted at work. Becoming Head Auror, as well as something potentially going down with Newt, led to her being sidelined in Fantastic Beasts 3.
Why Tina Goldstein Is Barely In Fantastic Beasts 3
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is an odd film in that, for the first time since the franchise began, Tina Goldstein is not a main character, prompting the question of where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3. While the film gives an explanation as to why she is not on Dumbledore’s mission to stop Grindelwald, there could be external reasons for her absence. Offscreen, the film’s production was delayed due to the pandemic. Principal photography was expected to begin in March 2020, but the whole world shut down and filming wouldn't resume until September of that year.
While unconfirmed, it's possible the delay meant Katherine Waterston's Tina Goldstein wasn't able to be in as much of the movie because of scheduling conflicts that arose because the dates for filming were changed. It would explain why she might have been written out of most of the movie. However, it's no secret the Fantastic Beasts franchise has shifted to focus heavily on Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s relationship, as well as their separate endeavors. Newt, Kowalski, and Tina Goldstein were pushed further into supporting character territory, and it could be that Tina's role was reduced to accommodate Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and even Aberforth in the story, but that remains unclear for now.
Why Tina’s Absence Makes No Sense In Fantastic Beasts 3
With the cast of Fantastic Beasts 3 going after Grindelwald, the question "where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3? is glaring considering how essential she was to previous adventures. New promotion or not, it seems out of character for her to avoid trying to save Queenie from Grindelwald. Fantastic Beasts 3 is set a few years after the second film, which means Queenie has been gone for a while. Although Tina Goldstein could have been searching for her in the interim, it’s doubtful that Jacob would be the only one who cares about what happens to Queenie.
Tina cares for her sister deeply and showing up at the end of The Secrets of Dumbledore to attend Queenie and Jacob’s wedding without making mention of anything that transpired makes her feel extremely out of place, as though she was never a big part of the previous films. What’s more, as the Head Auror, surely Tina Goldstein would have wanted to be in on the action of finding and catching Grindelwald. Considering Theseus is also an Auror and had no issue gallivanting across Europe in a bid to stop Grindelwald, the explanation of Tina’s promotion being what is keeping her from going on the adventure makes even less sense.
So, where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3? What mission could Tina have been on that was more important than Grindelwald and finding her sister? It’s possible MACUSA, who hid the real Fantastic Beasts villain, did not want to get involved in what was going on in Europe. However, Tina’s position as a U.S. Auror had never stopped her from helping Newt or Dumbledore before. She’s a passionate witch who would have done what she felt was right no matter her new status, so the excuse given for her absence is a weak, head-scratching one.
Will Tina Be In Fantastic Beasts 4?
While the question of where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3 is daunting, there is hope she will be in Fantastic Beasts 4. While WB previously confirmed there were two more films in the franchise, several factors have reportedly led the studio to potentially rethink its future. At the very least, the studio is waiting to see how well Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore does at the box office before moving full-steam ahead. That said, it’s possible Tina could return with a much bigger role in Fantastic Beasts 4.
After all, Tina’s future is with Newt — the two get married and have a child together — and it wouldn’t be a good idea to leave her out of the action once more. Crucially, Tina Goldstein is the Head Auror of MACUSA and, if Grindelwald’s rise to power is so threatening, it would be prudent of her to go after the dark wizard. For now, the returning cast has not been announced for Fantastic Beasts 4, making Tina’s future with the franchise all the more unclear. However, such an important character to Fantastic Beasts should return to the franchise so as to provide some closure.
What Tina Goldstein Actress Katherine Waterston Has Done Since Fantastic Beasts
Outside of wondering where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3, Tina Goldstein actress Katherine Waterston has kept up a steady stream of projects outside of the Fantastic Beasts series and in between films. Her most recent project, a highly anticipated Blumhouse horror film called They Listen, sees her starring opposite John Cho. While the plot of the upcoming horror movie is under wraps, the project has generated a lot of hype in the meantime, and its theatrical release is on the horizon, set to hit the big screen on August 25th, 2023. Waterston has also been involved in numerous other films and television shows in between the Fantastic Beasts movies.
After the first Fantastic Beasts movie, actress Katherine Waterston was in the sci-fi movie Fluidic before jumping on the Alien franchise train, starring in Alien: Covenant as terraforming expert Daniels. She also starred in Jonah Hill's A24 movie Mid90s as single mother Dabney before falling back into Tina Goldstein for Fantastic Beasts 2. After Crimes of Grindelwald, Waterston starred alongside Vanessa Kirby and Casey Affleck in the period drama The World to Come. In addition, Waterston played Jess in the TV movie The Third Day, reprising the role for the series The Third Day: Autumn, before her brief reappearance in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.