Queer fans of the Harry Potter franchise were delighted when author J.K. Rowling announced that Albus Dumbledore, beloved headmaster of Hogwarts, was canonically gay in 2007. Unfortunately, following Rowling's inflammatory statements about transgender youth in recent years, that delight has turned to mockery. Many LGBT+ fans of the franchise feel that Rowling's reveal about Dumbledore's sexuality was disingenuous. To them, the character's status as a gay man, and Rowling's 2019 reveal that he and his long-time rival Gellert Grindelwald had a mutual and "incredibly intense" love affair, was nothing more than queer baiting: an attempt to lure in LGBT+ fans with the promise of representation but never delivering on that promise for fear of scaring bigoted fans away.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the third in a series of prequel films written by Rowling herself. Hitting theaters this spring, the film is centered around a young Dumbledore (Jude Law) and his involvement -- or lack thereof -- in a pending war between wizards and muggles, spearheaded by Mads Mikkelsen's Grindelwald. A recently released trailer depicts the two mid-conversation, wherein the latter mentions their shared past. Given their confirmed romantic history, some fans are hopeful that the ill-fated affair between Dumbledore and Grindelwald will finally be shown on screen. Others, however, are doubtful.
The preceding film in the franchise, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, invited similar speculation. Like its upcoming sequel, the film depicted Dumbledore as a younger man, with the titular Grindelwald serving as the main antagonist. Fans were eager to learn more about the romance, its eventual end and the ongoing conflict that resulted. In the film, Albus -- appearing as a Hogwarts professor -- is approached by the Ministry of Magic and urged to fight his former friend. He tearfully states that he can't. While remarking that the two were "closer than brothers," no further context -- beyond a Blood Pact-- is given. There is an obvious connection between the two, but much to fans' disappointment, it is not confirmed to be explicitly romantic.
This was especially disheartening given that David Yates, the film's director, stated prior to its release that while Albus wouldn't appear "explicitly gay" in Fantastic Beasts 2, the film would include "sensual moments" between the two wizards. Much like Dumbledore's sexuality, this wasn't exactly false, but it wasn't exactly true either. Now, Rowling's lasting commitment to vagueness regarding the two in her screenplays has left a sour taste in many fans' mouths. The Secrets of Dumbledore has also been cleared for release in China, and given the country's long-standing policies against the depiction of LGBT+ characters in film, fans' valid concerns have not been dissuaded. But despite this, some remain hopeful.
While the preceding films do little more than skirt around the issue of Gellert and Albus' tumultuous love, The Secrets of Dumbledore will be the first time the two get to share a scene together aside from a brief flashback. As the trailer depicts the two sharing a tension-filled chat, remarking on their history and engaging in battle with one another, fans speculate that their love story will be essential to the movie's plot this time around. While understandable doubts persist, many fans of the franchise, from Gryffindor to Hufflepuff, are eager to see their romance unfold.
To see how much of their relationship is explored, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore apparates into theaters on April 15.