7 popular theories from the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald trailer

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Photo credit: Mark Seliger via WB Press Fantastic Beasts

The most popular theories to emerge after the trailer release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

The trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald has been out for long enough now. We have all had time to indulge ourselves, watch it repeatedly, get excited and then calm down. And while some of us watched it to simply just watch it. Some of us watched it in analysis mode. Analysing every detail and every frame in order to learn as much as possible.

1:

Apparation and Hogwarts

This short clip of members of the Ministry of Magic apparating Into Hogwarts almost sent the entire Wizarding World fandom into meltdown. Rightfully so too. It has always been a well-known fact that you cannot simply apparate inside of Hogwarts. Fans took to social media within seconds of watching the scene to voice their concern over this very obvious plot hole.

Now that we have had some time to settle since the trailer was released, the majority of the fandom has come to the conclusion that it is not a plot hole. The theory being that the no apparition rule we all so strongly defended had to come into effect at some point and it looks like it will be during the Fantastic Beasts era. Most of us all assumed it was put up when the Hogwarts founders built the castle but that was never stated.

So was it Dumbledore who created the apparition rule? And if it was, was it actions by Grindelwald that made Dumbledore take up such a measure or was it Ministry interference, again?

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. via WB Media Pass

2:

Credence the Horcrux

When we last saw Credence in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them he was flying around as an out of control Obscurial and wreaking havoc on New York City. He also almost certainly appeared to be dead after being blown up in a subway station.

Nevertheless, he is back. He was spotted before the trailer release in promotional images but featured in the trailer as well. How is he coming back is what everyone is trying to figure out?

The most popular theory going around is that Obscurials and Horcuxes are fairly similar. So what was actually destroyed at the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was not actually Credence. Just the Obscurial part of him.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. via WB Media Pass

3:

The Thestrals are key

At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Grindelwald was captured. Now apprehended, he can stand trial for the magical crimes he committed in Europe.

We can see in the trailer Grindelwald standing in front of a large crowd which resembles the Wizengamot, the wizard high court. Consider the title of the movie and that we know Grindelwald was only defeated when he lost a duel against Dumbledore, it’s a safe bet to say that he is going to escape.

How is the question?

Well, the theory is the Thestrals are key. During the trailer, we can see Grindelwald, under armed guard inside a carriage. A carriage is later seen taking off at speed and flying away via the Thestrals. The theory is that Grindelwald is in that Thestral flying carriage and that scene is Grindelwald making his escape.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. via WB Media Pass

4:

Credence Lestrange

Credit where credit is due. Fans who came up with this theory went all out investigating the details. In the trailer scene where an unknown man, suspected to be Dumbledore, is standing in a sewer looking at what appears to be a family tree. The theory going around is that this family tree shows that Credence is related to the Lestrange family.

That scene is on display in the trailer for 1, maybe 2 seconds tops. In order to see the details to come up with this theory, you had to pause the video at the exact right moment and then blow up the image, hoping it doesn’t become all pixelated and out of focus. So well done all of you who cracked this one.

In what capacity Credence is related to the Lestrange family will be interesting to see. Will Credence be directly related to the Bellatrix Lestrange?

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. via WB Media Pass

5:

The Scamander brothers

There is no love lost between the Scamander brothers. With the assumption being that the two are on opposite sides of the Wizarding War to come, you can imagine that they are not exactly seeing things eye to eye.

Throw in a woman that they both have their eyes set on and you can expect that scenes between them are not going to be too friendly, never mind brotherly. Or is it?

With the final scenes of the trailer showing the two teaming up together, a theory has emerged itself. That the love lost between them is, in fact, all of Leta Lestrange’s doing.

Leta was once Newt’s girl. That all appears to have changed since he met Tina and with Leta now married to Newt’s brother Theseus it all looks like they have gone their separate ways. However, a theory has come out that Leta is only with Theseus to get back at Newt. This then leads to the reason why Theseus is on opposite sides to Newt, because Leta has manipulated him.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. via WB Media Pass

6:

Ministry interference

In the Harry Potter series, the Ministry of Magic were never painted in a particularly good light. They were both inept and unwilling to do anything or were constantly interfering, and not in a good way.

But it looks like the Ministry was doing this way before Harry’s time as we see them questioning Dumbledore right at the start of the trailer. We later see Dumbledore speaking to Newt, explaining how he cannot make a move on Grindelwald.

Now we have speculated ourselves why Dumbledore cannot make a move but the popular theory is because the Ministry is interfering, again. That they are trying to stay out of what is going on Europe and with Grindelwald and are instructing Dumbledore to stay out of it as well. Hence why Newt is effectively working as Dumbledore’s agent.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. via WB Media Pass

7:

Nagini’s origin

By far the most popular theory is the Nagini Origin story.

We all remember Nagini. Voldemorts pet snake / Horcrux. Always by his side, that snake always felt like it was much more than a snake and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald might explain why.

In the trailer, we can see Credence hanging around with a Maledictus. What is a Maledictus I hear you say? Well, it is classed as someone who had their blood cursed that eventually led them to be transformed into a beast.

Later on in the trailer, we see the magical circus of the Maledictus and if you look carefully you can see a picture of a snake. This has led to wild, and hopefully correct, possibility that this is Nagini before she became Nagini.

It has never officially been stated where Nagini came from. It is assumed that Voldemort crossed paths with the snake during his exile in Albania, but even that has never been confirmed.

Maybe Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is looking to settle the origin of Nagini once and for all.

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So what theory is your favorite? Do you think any of them are right? Or do you think they are all wrong? Do you have your own theory from the trailer you would like to share? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is scheduled for release in theatres. Nov 16, 2018.

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