With the ever-evolving plot of the “Fantastic Beasts” film franchise, new faces come and go, sometimes within one film alone. In the third installment of franchise, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) receives the spotlight, which illuminates parts of his past like his more-than-friendship with Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) as well as his family dynamic.
Along for the ride are staple characters Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and No-Maj or muggle Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler). Newt’s brother Theseus (Callum Turner) joins in the action once more along with Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), and of course Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) returns to find out more about his own identity and past.
Newer faces who receive more screen time include Professor Hicks (Jessica Williams) and Newt’s loyal assistant Bunty (Victoria Yeates). Here’s who plays who in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.”
Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne)
Eddie Redmayne reprises his role as shy and slightly awkward magizoologist Newt Scamander, who constantly studies all kinds of magical creatures in order to learn more about them. Newt has a Mary Poppins-esque suitcase that looks battered on the outside, but houses all kinds of wild magic beasts, in various realms and habitats. Newt’s creatures often cause chaos, but they also come in very handy when Newt himself is in trouble. His latest task in this third film is to help Dumbledore (Jude Law) track down Credence (Ezra Miller) and get to him so that he doesn’t fall to Grindelwald’s dark side and try to kill Dumbledore.
Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law)
Dumbledore can be found wherever his hovering glove is seen waving, mostly to Newt and company. Dumbledore suggests that Newt and his friends befuddle Grindelwald’s efforts by trying to confuse him, throwing in his own random twists because he knows Grindelwald has a way of seeing the future. It is Dumbledore who orchestrates and somehow guides Newt and his team through the obstacles in their way, and he does so with the utmost grace.
Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen)
Grindelwald wants to rid the world of muggles, or No-Majs, as they call them in America. He believes wizards and witches are superior to them. His ambition drives him to run for President of the entire Magical world. He also has Credence convinced that he is Dumbledore’s brother, and that only he can defeat Dumbledore. Grindelwald and Dumbledore were once friends and even lovers, and they forged a blood bond between themselves that forbids either one from moving against the other.
Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler)
Kowalski is a baker, but his bakery has crumbled since Queenie, his love interest, joined Grindelwald because she thought he wanted to make No-Majs and wizarding folk equal. He is a stand-up guy though, as is proven when Professor Hicks cooks up a fake scheme to get him to come out of his bakery and “rescue” her from seemingly predatory men. Though Jacob can’t cast spells, he has a solid head on his shoulders and an open heart, and once he gets roped into this latest magical adventure, these strengths help the team immensely.
Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner)
Theseus is an auror at the British Ministry of Magic. He accompanies Newt because Dumbledore asks him to and it is also his job to police dark wizards. Theseus lost his love Leta L’estrange (Zoë Kravitz) in “The Crimes of Grindelwald.” He and Newt are not very alike, but the brotherly bond between them is strong.
Credence Barebone aka ‘Aurelius Dumbledore’ (Ezra Miller)
Credence has had quite a rollercoaster of a life lately. He went from being a squib orphan who was beat by his adoptive mother to possibly Corvus L’estrange, who was abandoned when he was younger, to Aurelius Dumbledore, brother of Albus Dumbledore. Credence is also an obscurial, or host child to an obscurus, a parasite that can develop inside magical children whose powers are suppressed. He has pledged loyalty to Grindelwald, agreeing to help him defeat Dumbledore, who is the only thing standing in his way of world domination.
Professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks (Jessica Williams)
Eulalie Hicks first appears to recruit Jacob Kowalski to help Newt and Dumbledore defeat Grindelwald. She is especially good at defensive spells, big and small. She dominates the competition by trapping men in walls, turning her book into a magical bridge, and even convincing people that Jacob himself can do magic.
Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol)
Queenie is in love with Jacob, and this love drove her to join Grindelwald in “The Crimes of Grindelwald” because she wants to marry Jacob, and Grindelwald convinces her that he can make that happen. Queenie can also read minds, and Grindelwald asks her to report about Credence’s inner thoughts.
Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam)
Yusuf came on the scene in “The Crimes of Grindelwald” as one of the many wizards curious about Credence’s identity. Yusuf has connections to the L’estrange family because Leta’s father seduced Yusuf’s mother through magic, and he thought he was related to Credence, but no. Yusuf aids in the fight against Grindelwald too.
Bunty (Victoria Yeates)
Bunty is Newt’s faithful assistant, who helps him take care of all the magical creatures. She gets more screen time in this film, and actively plays a role on the team Dumbledore assembles to battle Grindelwald.
Otto (Matthias Brenner)
Otto is charged with the tasks of making half a dozen replicas of Newt’s suitcase, for a plan later on in the film. Bunty approaches him with this request.
Anton Vogel (Oliver Masucci)
Vogel is the current president of The Confederation of Magic, and he helps oversee a peaceful transfer of power to the next elected candidate. Vogel is a little too lax on Grindelwald and his crimes, allowing Grindelwald to enter the race as a candidate for president.
Vicência Santos (Maria Fernanda Cândido)
Santos is one of the other two candidates for President of the Confederacy of Magic.
Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterson)
Tina makes an appearance at the very end of the film. In previous films, she has held more of a primary role as an auror. She has since been promoted to the head of American aurors, and is notably absent from much of this film’s plot.
