J.K. Rowling's prequel series, Fantastic Beasts, was initially focused on Newt Scamander and the friends he made in New York: Jacob Kowalski, Tina and Queenie Goldstein. However, with the second and third films, the series has grown exponentially, introducing fans to a broader aspect of the Wizarding World. The third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, recently released several character posters, and while most of the original main characters are present, one is missing: Tina Goldstein. She also didn't seem to be in the trailer released a couple of months ago, leaving fans to wait for her appearance in future trailers.
While Tina is reportedly still in the film, her lack of presence in the promotional materials is rather odd. Her absence sparked a thread on Twitter regarding her potential whereabouts with the hashtag #WhereisTinaGoldstein, with a few rumors speculating that she could be hiding in plain sight, while others think her character might be taking a backseat in this movie or even that Rowling killed her off. However, this doesn't add up, considering that Rowling already confirmed that Tina and Newt will end up together in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them companion book.
Tina's absence could mean a couple of things to expect from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Due to the nature of her job as an Auror for the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), she could be in disguise keeping tabs on Grindelwald's followers, more specifically, her sister Queenie. One popular YouTube channel, SuperCarlinBrothers, even came up with the theory that Tina is disguised as Bunty through either polyjuice potion or a body swap, similar to the techniques Grindelwald used to impersonate Percival Graves and to escape his prison transfer to Europe.
On the character of Bunty, not much is known about her except that she is Newt's assistant and has feelings for her boss. It would make sense for Tina to be Bunty because she has feelings for Newt and is extraordinary at taking care of his magical creatures. Also, disguising herself as Bunty would allow her to remain close to Newt without making her a potential target for Grindelwald. However, if she's trying to keep a low profile while spying on Grindelwald's activities, why would she disguise herself as Newt's assistant if she could disguise herself as one of Grindelwald's followers? That way, she'd be closer to not only Grindelwald himself but also her sister. It wouldn't really make sense that she would stay close to Newt since he can hold his own when the time demands it.
Although Tina Goldstein is nowhere to be seen in the initial Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore trailer, she supposedly will be present in the film. Despite this, nothing has been confirmed about how big of a role she will play in the film. With many fan theories being thrown around Twitter and YouTube, there is a lot to look forward to in the next trailer coming out soon.
To see what role Tina plays, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore apparates into theaters on April 15.