The best possible rival to the upcoming Harry Potter reboot series is a Marvel Cinematic Universe spinoff that was set up in Phase 5’s Ironheart. HBO’s new Harry Potter series has now started filming, giving us a first look at Dominic McLaughlin as the new Boy Who Lived and Nick Frost as Hagrid. The first season is expected to premiere in 2027, which could see it release around the same time as a magical MCU spinoff that, while it hasn’t yet been officially confirmed, could give the Harry Potter reboot a run for its money.
Marvel Television’s Ironheart series just introduced us to Zelma Stanton (Regan Aliyah), who proved her talent when examining a piece of the mysterious hood and when enhancing Riri Williams’ (Dominique Thorne) new Ironheart suit with magic. Stanton’s debut has raised speculation that Marvel Studios will be pushing forward with a spinoff series focused on the Strange Academy, a school for young magic-users run by Stanton and Doctor Strange in Marvel Comics. A series set in the MCU’s Strange Academy would be the perfect rival to HBO’s Harry Potter reboot.
Both Strange Academy and Harry Potter focus on young sorcerers finding their feet and learning their talents while getting into some precarious situations. The similarities between these two stories and settings are obvious, so it would be fantastic for a Strange Academy series to piggy-back off the notoriety of the Harry Potter franchise, and for Harry Potter to benefit from Marvel Studios developing its own MCU-set magic series. In February, Deadline reported that an MCU series set in the Strange Academy was shelved, but the success of Ironheart and the development of Harry Potter could change this status.
Of course, the Harry Potter franchise is much more well-known than the Strange Academy, which only debuted in Marvel Comics in March 2020’s Strange Academy #1. This means there might not be such a rivalry, but the magnitude and immense popularity of the MCU means a Strange Academy series would be a strong competitor. With the likes of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Anton Lesser, and more cast in Harry Potter, the series will surely be a prestige and legitimate adaptation, despite some controversies, while a Strange Academy spinoff could also include some major names.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Regan Aliyah, Anthony Ramos, Xochitl Gomez, Benedict Wong, and more could all appear in a Strange Academy series. It would be great to see new young sorcerers introduced to the MCU, and Strange Academy has the opportunity to pull off some weirder, wilder, and more vibrant stories than a Harry Potter series – of which everyone already knows the narrative. A show set in the Strange Academy hasn’t yet been announced, but with Harry Potter moving forward quickly, it would make sense for Marvel to go full steam ahead on its own magical adventure.
Do you want to see an MCU-set Strange Academy series release alongside HBO’s Harry Potter? Let us know in the comments!
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