In January, director David Yates said that Jude Law’s young Dumbledore character won’t be “explicitly gay†in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts sequel. Now, the young Dumbledore himself is speaking up: “Jo Rowling revealed some years back that Dumbledore was gay. That was a question I actually asked Jo and she said, yes, he’s gay,†Law told Entertainment Weekly. “But as with humans, your sexuality doesn’t necessarily define you; he’s multifaceted. I suppose the question is: How is Dumbledore’s sexuality depicted in this film?†According to Law, Dumbledore’s sexuality … isn’t. “What you got to remember this is only the second Fantastic Beasts film in a series and what’s brilliant about Jo’s writing is how she reveals her characters, peels them to the heart over time. You’re just getting to know Albus in this film, and there’s obviously a lot more to come,†he continued.
Despite Rowling’s declaration that Dumbledore was gay, she never made that clear in the Harry Potter books or in any of the movies. “We learn a little about [Dumbledore’s] past in the beginning of this film, and characters and their relationships will unfold naturally which I’m excited to reveal,†Law said. “But we’re not going to reveal everything all at once.†Zero points for representation!