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    Warner Bros. Wants Harry Potter to Become the Next Batman

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    Warner Bros. Wants Harry Potter to Become the Next Batman

    Harry Potter and Batman might have more in common than being overpowered orphans. HBO wants the Wizarding World to become the next big franchise with multiple actors taking on the titular role. The upcoming Harry Potter reboot has the entire fan base divided. Some are excited about J.K. Rowling’s novels being adapted into a TV series, which allows for more screentime to explore previously underdeveloped characters. Meanwhile, others hold the original film series dear to their hearts, and are viewing the new reboot as nothing more than a cash-grab. Unfortunately, the latest update from Warner Bros. hasn’t done much to alleviate that anxiety.




    Speaking to Variety, Peter Van Roden, Warner Bros.’s executive VP of global themed entertainment, revealed the company’s plans for the Harry Potter franchise. The report included new theme parks, tie-in merchandise, a sequel to the hit video game Hogwarts Legacy, and some details about the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series. Van Roden hopes that Harry Potter fans will be able to let go of the Daniel Radcliffe-led movies, and be open to new actors playing the role, a feeling akin to a new actor donning the cape and cowl of Batman. “How many different Batmans are there?” he wondered. Van Roden thinks that further down the line fans will be able to ask each other, “What Harry are you?” — referring to which Harry Potter actor was their favorite.


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    “You have to really remind yourself that it’s ever evolving, and nothing you’re doing is ever going to live forever,” Van Roden continued. For some, it will be almost impossible to move on from the original Harry Potter movies. They have become a winter staple for fans across the world, and helped launch the immensely successful Harry Potter Studio Tours in the US and the UK. But, for Warner Bros., Harry Potter is another franchise that can be given a fresh coat of paint. Roden continued:

    “You have to always think about what’s new and different in the trends that are happening.”



    Comparing Harry Potter to Batman Makes No Sense

    While Van Roden’s comments may be well-intentioned from a corporate standing, as the studio hopes fans will accept a new Harry Potter actor, there’s a major difference between The Boy Who Lived and the Caped Crusader — and it’s not just that one of them dresses as a bat. Batman is able to go through so many different iterations and actors because of his nearly limitless storytelling potential. From almost a century of Batman comics, directors can pick and choose which stories to adapt, or tell original ones, allowing them to incorporate new actors.


    However, Harry Potter is based on a very limited and linear set of novels telling a single story. To continue to reboot Harry Potter with new actors again and again in the future means Warner Bros. will be re-telling the same story with different faces. While this may work for Shakespeare, audiences will probably tire of hearing the 17th iteration of Hermione Granger remind them about the pronunciation of “Leviosa.”

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