My favorite character in the wizarding world is, you've guessed it from the title, Newt Scamander aka Newton Artemis Fido Scamander. I know most potterheads would frown upon that, how dare you place this guy over the boy who lived. Because more than the boy who lived, I care about the boy who lives inside me, Yes, Newt Scamander is me, for me he is the most relatable character in the whole Harry potter universe (maybe in all of hollywood). Not just me.
Fantastic beasts and where to find them is not the best of movies in the wizarding universe. But it's protagonist is different, there is something odd about him. He is certainly not Harry James Potter, he is not a "hero material" for many, not just viewers even the critics were of the opinion that Newt is boring.
The New York Post said Newt was “not a very engaging lead.” MTV said he lacks “depth,” “soul,” and a “coherent personality.” The NEW Republic also expressed shock at his leading man status saying he’s so “good-hearted, simple and nondescript that it’s sort of crazy that he’s going to be the centerpiece” of a five film franchise.
Some has even went on to say, Newt is too nice to be a hero. Yes, that's exactly what makes Newt different from the conventional movie leads. His characteristics are often affiliated as sidekick characteristics.
We, as movie going audiences, have been conditioned to expect a certain type of masculine performance from male characters in sci-fi or fantasy movies. That's where I would love to draw a line, we are living in a time when people are trying to break the glass ceilings, Movie industries are giving more representations to different people except the lead role, the hero. The hero should be brazen, strong, doing whatever he wants or can do whatever he wants, boisterous, charismatic and preferably witty. Take the above mentioned attributes and mix it together in different proportions, you'll get all the hero figures.
Newt is surprisingly none of those. Male heroes are customed to hide their vulnerablities and weakness. They can be arrogant, aggressive, violent, we as viewers doesn't care, because that's what the system has conditioned us to expect from them. If I told you to pitch me a male character for a major movie, you'll pitch me a guy who is strong, courageous, jumps right into the action without hesitation or thinking about the consequences.
He cracks jokes even when his body is hanging upside down from a building while his nose is bleeding and his left eye is swollen from all the punches he just took two minutes ago, because of course, he’s a hero, a male hero more precisely, and male heroes don’t bat an eye when shit hits the fan; they remain cool and even joke about it, because they always survive, it’s part of their arc. Basically, they are everything Society expects of a man: hyper masculine, brave, attractive and confident. - Sofia Boulamrach
I love these characters, as a comic book movie fan how can I not love them. But the side effects it brings is negatively influential. Marvel has built 10 years of films on a foundation of hyper-masculine, overly macho men. And I have loved every second of it. This is the normal for critics and audiences.
That's where Newt represents a different masculinity. Masculinity is not just what "the mainstream heroes" represent. There is 'this' version of it, sincere, nurturing, emotional, and sensitive. Newt is all of those, he is a quiet and vulnerable, yet confident form of manhood. Newt is painfully shy and awkward around people, he avoids eye contact whenever possible, his ability to connect with magical creatures (which everyone else don't care about) and his inability to connect with humans sets him apart but connects him more to people like me.
Take almost everything that Tony Stark is and invert it and you’ll have Newt Scamander. - Madison (author at InQua)
When men show this kind of attributes and vulnerablities, they are considered 'weak'. Because these are stereotypically connected to women and feminity. Men can't be nurturing, sensitive and vulnerable, Can they? But, Newt achieved all his goals thanks to those characters.
By framing all of Newt’s traits as strengths instead of weaknesses the movie challenges our regressive gender bias. Thanks to elaborate character writing by JK Rowling herself and a graceful, brilliant acting performance by Eddie Redmayne, Newt Scamander is a personal triumph for all the underrated men out there. Newt is a magizoologist, that is he studies about magical creatures in the harry potter universe, he has a magical suitcase full magical creatures, huge and tiny. He's comfortable spending time with them than with humans. No, that doesn't mean he considers humans as bad, he loves and would care everyone and everything in need.
Jon McIntosh, in a wonderful video essay at Pop Culture Detective, states that Newt’s defining trait is his empathy.
He is empathetic towards those which/who are treated unfairly and these magical creatures are certainly treated that way. He is not afraid of them, like others are. In fact, it has been said that Newt has “never met a monster he couldn’t love.” Unlike, Harry who found 'love' was what that could defeat Voldemort after 8 movies, this man is living that.
He may be shy and timid around people but not around his creatures. Through the movie we learn that he isn't just studying them, he loves them all for what they are. Inside his case, (its a huge place inside that) he doesn't keep them in cages, he let's them free in the environment they likes. He has also named them all. (if you were curious)
He is not at all afraid of these creatures, he sees innocence in them, treats them as his children and refers to himself as their “mommy”.
When the creatures jumped out of his case into outside world, he was scared about what could happen to 'them' when they are surrounded by the most dangerous creatures in the planet 'us.'
"No, no, don't hurt those creatures — please, you don't understand — nothing in there is dangerous, nothing!" - Newt Scamander
Unlike Harry he is not the chosen one nor does he possess incredible magic power. He also doesn't doubt about his powers or place in the magical world. He is confident about what he is and what he has.
Towards the ending of the movie where a dark force (and obscurus) confronts Newt, unlike what we expect from such movies, (a fierce battle between good and evil) Newt confronts the monster with empathy, he tries to bring the humanity out of the obscurus, unfortunately someone else kills the monster. But instead of celebration our hero was mourning because he couldn't save the monster.
A man can and should be allowed to be sensitive and vulnerable without having his masculine identity threatened. - Sofia Boulamrach
I don't know if Newt will remain as the titular hero, in my opinion, he should because this franchise sents a message powerful than magic, inclusiveness, accepting others no matter who they are and to embrace all creatures. Newt is a Hufflepuff as well as the actor Eddie Redmayne. And so I'm I (I though I was a Slytherin but it turns out I was not, not threatening enough I guess.) and so is Rock.
"For far too long now, Hufflepuffs have been victimized, They call us boring. They call us beige. They say we’re the nice guys. But you know what? You know what I see in Hufflepuffs? I see loyalty. I see fierce friendship. We are hardworking, we are compassionate, and at the end of the day, we’re going to do the right thing, and not because of the glory. Not because of the glory, but for the greater good.” said Redmayne.
Thank you for your time.
