The sequel to Fantastic Beasts is on its way, and fans got a final look at the film before it drops this fall. Warner Bros. Pictures shared the last trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and it looks like one its major reveal is bringing up controversy for one character.
For those unaware, the final trailer for the Fantastic Beasts film revealed a major fact about Nagini, the snake that famously accompanied Voldemort in his adulthood. The trailer showed a brand-new character transforming into Nagini, and actress Claudia Kim confirmed her she would be playing the infamous snake. However, it seems some fans aren't okay with the reveal as some have interpreted the move as racist.
As you can see below, the brewing controversy takes offense to the fact Nagini is being played by a Korean woman. While author J.K. Rowling has been transparent bringing more diversity to the Wizarding World, fans on social media see Kim's casting as an antiquated one. The problem lies within the fact that Nagini becomes a prominent villain in the Harry Potter universe who aligns with Voldemort. Not only does the snake become one of his Horcruxes, but they lives their life in service to the Dark Lord.
For fans, having an actress of color play a subservient role like this rubs them the wrong way. Other complaints have arisen questioning why a Korean actress would play Nagini given the snake's Asia Pacific origins. The objective trope also plays into damaging stereotypes often pushed upon Asian women in cinema; This time, the actress is being turned into a snake rather than an exotic dragon.
Taking to Twitter, Rowling combatted accusations of the reveal being a last-minute pitch for diversity. The author told fans she's known about this secret for 20 years now, and she had the following to say when one fan questioned the reveal:
"The Naga are snake-like mythical creatures of Indonesian mythology, hence the name 'Nagini.' They are sometimes depicted as winged, sometimes as half-human, half-snake. Indonesia comprises a few hundred ethnic groups, including Javanese, Chinese and Betawi. Have a lovely day."
For now, fans will have to wait and see how Kim's secretive role will go down. While fans know the character's magical curse will one day turn her into Nagini permanently, the story of how she gets there may assuage the fears fans have about the role's unconscious racism.
So, what do you think of the final trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald? Do you have an issue with this big reveal? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens November 16, followed by the yet-to-be-named Fantastic Beasts 3 on November 20, 2020.