Why Is Tina Hardly in Fantastic Beasts 3? Her Absence Makes No Sense
Fantastic Beasts: the Secrets of Dumbledore Limits Tina Goldstein's Role. We Break Down Why Her Absence Makes Little Sense to the Overall Story. Tina Goldstein...
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore limits Tina Goldstein's role. We break down why her absence makes little sense to the overall story.
Tina Goldstein played a crucial role in the first two Fantastic Beasts films, so why is she hardly in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore? Played by Katherine Waterston, the American witch was first introduced in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, befriending Newt Scamander as they both found themselves embroiled in an unexpected adventure. Tina (whose full name is Porpentina) is an American witch and Auror with the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) at the start of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She helps to locate Credence Barebone in The Crimes of Grindelwald and is crucial in the fight against Grindelwald, who was beginning to rally followers at the time. But where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3?
In Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’s, Tina’s absence was noticeable. It was all a bit strange considering how big of a role she played in the first two movies, and there was speculation Tina Goldstein might not be in the third film at all. So, where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3? While Tina is present in Fantastic Beasts 3, her role has been greatly diminished, appearing in only one scene at the end of the film to celebrate Jacob Kowalski and her sister Queenie’s wedding. The Secrets of Dumbledore does explain why she’s not around to help Dumbledore and his allies against Grindelwald, but it doesn’t make all that much sense considering certain elements of the plot. Here’s why.
How Fantastic Beasts 3 Explains Tina Goldstein’s Absence
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore answers the question of where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3 not too long into its runtime. For the majority of the film, Tina Goldstein is nothing but a moving picture in Newt’s suitcase, tucked away until he opens it and sadly smiles at her. It’s clear from the brief exchange that Tina will not be a major player in Fantastic Beasts 3. Later, Newt explains to older brother Theseus that Tina has been promoted to Head Auror for MACUSA. Her new role is why she cannot join Newt and Dumbledore on their mission to thwart Grindelwald’s plans to be elected to the International Confederation of Wizards.
While Tina’s new responsibilities have surely left her with little time to journey across Europe, answering "where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3?" it’s possible her relationship with Newt, which had romantic tension, became strained in the years since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. They’re both fairly awkward people already, but their interaction at the end of the third film suggests something more may have happened between them besides Tina Goldstein being promoted at work. Becoming Head Auror, as well as something potentially going down with Newt, led to her being sidelined in Fantastic Beasts 3.
Must Read
Why Tina Goldstein Is Barely In Fantastic Beasts 3
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is an odd film in that, for the first time since the franchise began, Tina Goldstein is not a main character, prompting the question of where is Tina in Fantastic Beasts 3. While the film gives an explanation as to why she is not on Dumbledore’s mission to stop Grindelwald, there could be external reasons for her absence. Offscreen, the film’s production was delayed due to the pandemic. Principal photography was expected to begin in March 2020, but the whole world shut down and filming wouldn't resume until September of that year.
While unconfirmed, it's possible the delay meant Katherine Waterston's Tina Goldstein wasn't able to be in as much of the movie because of scheduling conflicts that arose because the dates for filming were changed. It would explain why she might have been written out of most of the movie. However, it's no secret the Fantastic Beasts franchise has shifted to focus heavily on Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s relationship, as well as their separate endeavors. Newt, Kowalski, and Tina Goldstein were pushed further into supporting character territory, and it could be that Tina's role was reduced to accommodate Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and even Aberforth in the story, but that remains unclear for now.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
