The Fantastic Beasts 2's Harry Potter ReferencesAccording to the official synopsis for The Crimes of Grindelwald, the film will deal with the titular dark wizard enlisting followers to his cause of establishing wizards as benevolent overlords of non-magical folks. The growing conflict in the wizarding world will necessitate Dumbledore asking for help from Newt in taking on Grindelwald. Since Grindelwald is at the heart of the conflict in The Crimes of Grindelwald, you might think he'd be a major aspect of the trailer, but he isn't. Now, we discuss why Grindelwald doesn't appear much in the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald trailer and what it may mean for both his role in the sequel and the series as a whole.This Page: Why is Johnny Depp Not in the Teaser?

Why Is Johnny Depp Not In The Teaser?

Depp's Grindelwald appears twice in the Fantastic Beasts 2 teaser trailer. He's shown once from behind with his recognizable white-blonde hair standing in front of the Wizengamot, the high court of law and parliament as part of the Ministry of Magic. Then he's shown again, with a much more ragged appearance in a carriage facing down two wands. Of course, Grindelwald was captured at the end of Fantastic Beasts after his disguise as Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) was revealed. However, we know that in The Crimes of Grindelwald he will escape and begin gathering followers, but first it appears he'll have to face the Wizengamot for his crimes.

Still, those two scenes offer very little insight into what to expect from the titular character in The Crimes of Grindelwald. It's possible Warner Bros. is holding Grindelwald back because this is a teaser trailer and they don't want to reveal too much. We know the main conflict involves Newt attempting to defeat Grindelwald, and since this teaser is only our first look at the film, it's likely a full-length trailer will include more of the dark wizard.

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Certainly, Warner Bros. has kept as much close to the vest as possible in regards to its Fantastic Beasts films. The casting of Depp as Grindelwald was only reported just before screenings of the first film began - likely to get ahead of anyone leaking the reveal of his character in Fantastic Beasts. Plus, there's still a great deal we don't know about the sequel. Warner Bros. holding back Grindelwald in the first Fantastic Beasts 2 teaser trailer is likely indicative of the studio trying not to reveal too much and retain some mystery about his character in the film.

Of course, there's also the possibility that Warner Bros. didn't include much Grindelwald in the trailer for The Crimes of Grindelwald due to the controversy surrounding Depp's involvement in the franchise. In mid-2016, Depp's now ex-wife Amber Heard was granted a temporary restraining order against him on the grounds of domestic violence. She later retracted her request for the restraining order and the two settled their divorce privately, releasing a t statement. However, the evidence Heard provided for the request was made public and later prompted many Harry Potter fans to criticize Warner Bros. for casting Depp as Grindelwald.

In the time since Depp first appeared in Fantastic Beasts, many fans have continued to call for the studio, Rowling, and director David Yates to remove or recast him in the franchise. As Warner Bros. ramped up promotion of The Crimes of Grindelwald, those involved in the film were called on to respond to Depp's continued involvement in the series - though both Yates' and Rowling's responses to the controversy arguably did more harm than good. As such, it's possible Warner Bros. held Depp's Grindelwald back in the first teaser for the sequel to avoid calling attention to his involvement in the film and prevent further controversy.

So what can fans expect of Grindelwald's actual role in the Fantastic Beasts sequel? It will likely be more important than viewers would presume based on how little he appears in the first teaser. Considering the sequel is titled Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, it seems likely Depp's character will be at the forefront of the film - if not in actual screen time then at least in spirit as the main antagonist.

What Is Grindelwald's Role in Fantastic Beasts 2?

Before Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them first came out, little was known about the new film series based in the world of Harry Potter and what overarching story it could tell. It's likely Warner Bros. used the first film as a test to see whether movies set in the Wizarding World could still be successful without the Boy Who Lived, which explains why Fantastic Beasts was able to stand on its own. However, the conclusion of the film, particularly the introduction of Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, set up the dark wizard to be the main antagonist of the Fantastic Beasts franchise - much like Voldemort was in the Harry Potter series.

As Harry Potter fans know from the original book and film series, Grindelwald was the most feared dark wizard prior to the rise of Voldemort. His history is intertwined with that of Harry Potter mentor Albus Dumbledore, who was friends with Grindelwald when they were both young. However, they parted ways and Dumbledore went on to become a Hogwarts professor while Grindelwald became a violent revolutionary zealous in his belief that wizards should rule over non-magical peoples. Eventually Dumbledore faced Grindelwald in a great magical duel that ended the latter's reign of terror and he was sentenced to the wizarding prison of Nurmengard.

Related: Why Dumbledore Can't Fight Grindelwald (Yet)

The Crimes of Grindelwald takes place prior to that duel while the dark wizard is still amassing followers. Also, we know that the Deathly Hallows will play a part in The Crimes of Grindelwald, as teased by their symbol appearing in the trailer. We know Grindelwald has searched for the Hallows for much of his life, even as far back as his time with Dumbledore when the two boys spent time researching the histories and whereabouts of the artefacts. Grindelwald also adopts the mark of the Deathly Hallows as his own - to the point that by the time Harry Potter is investigating the Hallows, the symbol is more associated with the dark wizard than the magical artifacts. We saw this in Fantastic Beasts when Grindelwald-as-Graves gave a Hallows symbol to Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), who he was using to track down an Obscurus.

Putting everything we know together - along with the fact that Newt may not be the protagonist of every Fantastic Beasts film - Grindelwald's arc in the series likely spans all five movies. If that's the case, the final movie will include the big duel between Grindelwald and Dumbledore, with all those leading up to it chronicling Grindelwald's rise to power. After his capture in Fantastic Beasts, Grindelwald's role in The Crimes of Grindelwald will likely entail him going in front of the Wizengamot to for the crimes he committed prior to the series, but he'll escape and continue his rise to power. Since the Deathly Hallows give those who possess them the power of the "Master of Death," Grindelwald will no doubt be in search of the artefacts throughout the Fantastic Beasts series, starting in The Crimes of Grindelwald.

If the Fantastic Beasts franchise truly is the story of Grindelwald as we believe it to be, that means the lack of Depp in the first teaser trailer for The Crimes of Grindelwald isn't indicative of him having a relatively small role in the sequel. It may be tempting to view Depp's meager two scenes in the Fantastic Beasts 2 trailer as a sign Warner Bros. is heeding criticism of the actor's involvement. Further, some fans may take the lack of Grindelwald in the trailer for a movie that bears his name as an indication the series either could or already is moving away from his story being the focus. Choosing to focus instead on Credence and his Obscurus or any of the new characters set to be introduced in the sequel. Unfortunately, based on what we know and the fact that those involved in the franchise have doubled down on Depp, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Related: Fantastic Beasts: Johnny Depp's Casting is a Mistake

Grindelwald may not have a great deal of screen time in The Crimes of Grindelwald - similar to how Voldemort didn't have much screen time until later Harry Potter movies - but everything we know about the franchise points to the dark wizard being a major player in the overarching narrative. As such, the lack of Depp in the first trailer for Fantastic Beasts 2 is either a case of the studio attempting to avoid stirring up controversy or holding back to maintain the story's mystery.

Either way, The Crimes of Grindelwald continues to alienate fans who have understandably taken issue with the involvement of an actor accused of domestic abuse - especially in a role as major as the series' main antagonist. As we've seen in recent months, it's entirely possible for Fantastic Beasts to recast or replace Depp as Grindelwald, but those involved choose not to. It's unclear whether Depp's involvement in The Crimes of Grindelwald will have an impact on the film's reviews or box office when it debuts later this year. Still, it will no doubt remain a talking point surrounding not only the sequel - no matter how much or how little the actor actually appears - but the entire Fantastic Beasts franchise as long as Depp is involved.

Next: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Trailer Breakdown