For the longest time, it was thought that the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film series would merely be a story set in the Wizarding World. Would the film have some ties to the main Harry Potter story? Sure, maybe a few characters would show up, but for the most part, based on author/screenwriter J.K. Rowling’s comments that she would keep the stories separate from one another.

Well, it doesn’t seem like they went with that approach for long, if ever. If the recent video from Fantastic Beasts actor Ezra Miller wasn’t enough to convince you, it’s pretty much been confirmed that the story will connect to the Harry Potter more than original thought.

READ: CONFUSED ABOUT FANTASTIC BEASTS’ CONNECTION TO HARRY POTTER? EZRA MILLER EXPLAINS!

Rowling even went so far as to ease concerns over the inflated length of the series — which will now span five films — essentially stating that once we knew what the story would entail. we’d understand why it was so long. With Gellert Grindelwald confirmed for the film (and rumor has it that Johnny Depp will be playing him), we’re speculating that the film’s over-arching plot will entail the rise of Grindelwald and his conflict with Dumbledore, which is a conflict that played a huge role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

If there was possibly any further doubt that Dumbledore would be a player in some capacity, then we have a new bit of news for you. At a press conference attended by our own Kellvin Chavez, David Yates confirmed that the fan favorite wizard would appear in Fantastic Beasts 2. Understandably, since the sequel has yet to get into production, Dumbledore has not yet been cast, but casting is currently underway. Given the importance of the character, his casting will definitely be made under tremendous scrutiny. It was hard enough having to cast him twice as an old man (First by Richard Harris, and then by Michael Gambon), but thanks to the books and his most recent portrayal in the films by Michael Gambon, it’s likely that many fans already have an idea of what a young Dumbledore would look like (and by young, we mean around 50 years old).

It’s also not clear whether or not this role will be a large one, but given that all evidence points to the importance of Grindelwald in the first film, one can assume that Dumbledore will, at the very least, have a substantial supporting role in the movie.

What do you think of this news? Do you speculate, as we do, that Dumbledore’s role will be a pivotal one in the coming sequels? Let us know your thoughts down below!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters on November 18, 2016.

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