Why Casting Arthur Darvill As Young Dumbledore Would Be A Dumble-Bore!

As #JKRowling's #FantasticBeasts continues to dominate the box office, all eyes look ahead to the next four (yes, four) sequels and where the franchise will lead us into the 2020s. The not-so subtle reveal that Johnny Depp played token bad guy Gellert Grindelwald means that he will undoubtedly become the focus of the rest of the "Beast" films, so where is the golden snitch to his bullying bludger?

With the sequel film reportedly taking a trip to Hogwarts, we are all expecting the return of Professor Albus Dumbledore. All eyes are on who could pick up the half-moon spectacles and step into the flamboyant robes of the beloved headmaster. It is doubtful that we will be Benjamin Buttoning this, so that rules Michael Gambon out of reprising his role, while everyone from Brad Pitt to Chiwetel Ejiofor has been thrown into the ring. It appears that all it takes nowadays to get a part you want is to say, "yeah, I could do that," and it appears that someone has placed their own name in the Goblet of Fire: Legends of Tomorrow and Doctor Who alumnus Arthur Darvill.

Without sparking up a hate article or any form of internet trolling, here is why casting Darvill in the iconic role could be pretty much the worst thing you could do to the franchise. Well, that, or casting Johnny Depp as Grindelwald — oops.

Is age just a number?

With the Fantastic Beasts sequel taking place in the late '20s and Dumbledore being born in 1881, 34-year-old Arthur Darvill doesn't quite fit the age bracket for the wizard. Then we have that ever-present Depp issue. Depp is 53 while Dumbledore is supposed to be two years older than Grindelwald. With Darvill being over two decades Depp's junior, hardcore Potter fans would surely have something to say about this, but Warner Bros. probably could have gotten away with an age difference if they hadn't cast Depp as Grindelwald. I know you are only as old as you feel, but perhaps someone with a little more experience is needed.

It's a fad.

But OK, age aside, let's hear Darvill's reasoning for wanting to enter the Potterverse. Perhaps it was a dying child's wish, perhaps it is his lifelong dream — well not quite. What is Darvill's reasoning for wanting to play the whimsical wizard?

"I’ve made this pact with myself that when I hit a certain age, I’m only going to play wizards. I want to be that guy."

Whoa, an actor who JUST plays wizards? Might be a little niche there. Few people can run a successful acting career on playing the same type of character for eternity. Only action stars like Willis, Schwarzenegger, and Jackson can rely on one genre, and even then they are known to step out of it. That is like Ewan McGregor saying "all I am ever going to play now is Jedi." Everyone should have aspirations, but c'mon Arth, this one is a bit of a stretch.

Doctor "Who"?

Continuing the reminder that this isn't a personal attack on Darvill, I just think he would be a horrendous Dumbledore. Darvill's notable roles include playing sidekick Rory Williams from 2010 – 2012 in Doctor Who, starring as a local vicar in two seasons of ITV's Broadchurch, and playing Rip Hunter in CW's Legends of Tomorrow. Rip is currently MIA so Darvill can return for a third season of Broadchurch. I mean c'mon, this isn't exactly Hollywood Walk of Fame stuff!

Parts in two fantasy TV shows and a murder mystery isn't a free pass through to the Potterverse, especially given Warner Bros.'s usual casting of such A-list talent. Johnny Depp may currently be a bit of a sore point for the films, but he certainly packs in the numbers. Fantastic Beasts 2, starring Ezra Miller, Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp, and — oh, Arthur Darvill doesn't quite have a ring to it.

But forgetting Darvill, there is one more choice for who would be the ultimate Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore!

Bean there done that.

Over at Movie Pilot we may have already fan cast our choice for who would make a great young Dumbledore, however, let's chuck one more name in for good measure: the gruff, fatherly Sean Bean.

The 57-year-old has the right balance of fun and seriousness to play Dumbledore, plus it's Sean f*cking Bean, he is a British institution. The Potter films gave us two very different version of the Hogwarts headmaster: Richard Harris was the frail and ancient Dumbledore, while Michael Gambon took on the overly aggressive "Grumbledore." Bean could easily strike that middle ground with his broad Sheffield twang.

The Fantastic Beasts films need to strike that careful balance between eccentric genius and imposing wizard force — don't forget that Dumbledore is the only wizard in the world that Voldemort was afraid of, while the battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is the most infamous wizard duel in the world. The three-hour long battle resulted in Dumbledore's victory and winning of the Elder Wand.

Rowling revealed that the next four films will lead up to the battle and Dumbledore's ascension to headmastership, so why not Bean? He definitely has the screen presence to lead — he was Ned Stark duh! Plus, having Bean as Dumbledore would provide one of those rare films where he doesn't die during his time on screen. He might just need to hide that Sheffield accent a little bit (but not too much). Sorry Arthur, better move aside and start practicing your Polyjuice Potion, this film needs some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Sean Beans to make it magical.