The Fantastic Beasts Franchise Made One Big Mistake According To Harry Potter Fans
The name Newt Scamander is mentioned only once in the entire "Harry Potter" series (as the author of required Hogwarts textbook "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"), but in the "Fantastic Beasts" spin-off films, set approximately 60-70 years earlier, the former Hufflepuff student is at the center of it all. Newt (Eddie Redmayne) is a bashful Magizoologist who cares for and protects a briefcase full of magical creatures, from Teddy the Niffler to Pickett the Bowtruckle, but when New York No-Maj Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) unwittingly becomes involved, enjoyable chaos ensues.
"Fantastic Beasts" isn't only about magical creatures, though. When Newt isn't performing an Erumpent mating ritual or crab walking for his life, he's aiding Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) in overthrowing Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen), who dreams of controlling the non-magical population "for the greater good." Since Dumbledore has a blood pact with his former friend and lover, he's incapable of defeating Grindelwald himself and therefore needs the help of Newt, Jacob, and others.
While the "Fantastic Beasts" series sheds light on events that are glossed over in "Harry Potter," including Dumbledore's true relationship with Grindelwald, many fans think these overlapping plotlines should have been handled differently.
Fantastic Beasts fans want a Wizarding World Universe
A number of "Fantastic Beasts" fans feel that the two main storylines of Newt and Grindelwald would better thrive as separate entities, all under the umbrella of a Wizarding World Universe — a tried and true format being employed by both Marvel and DC.
On Reddit, u/kuningperson suggested, "Newt and his [f]antastic [b]easts with their own franchise, Dumbledore vs Grindelwald with their own franchise, and they could cameo in each other's franchises like how the MCU does it." This user hopes that the "horrible shoe-horning of Newt into these situations for 5 movies" doesn't happen. Redditor u/IntoTheObsidianNight agreed, saying, "We could have had Newt rescuing magical animals and teaching at different magical schools across the world and the audience would have devoured that, but we are stuck with discount Voldemort."
According to some reports, a Wizarding World Universe might be a reality in the future. Sources told ComicBook.com that Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav is contemplating a "reset" of J.K. Rowling's entire creation on-screen. This could mean a redirection for the faltering "Fantastic Beasts" series, which is seeing a steady decline in box office numbers. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" garnered $814 million (via Box Office Mojo), while "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" reached just over $400 million (via Forbes).
A "reset" could also potentially see new spin-offs that Potterheads have long been demanding. A prime example is a prequel about Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) and the Marauders' time at Hogwarts, which was brought to life by a group of fans.