Daniel Radcliffe is stated to be fine with not returning in Max’s upcoming TV series adaptation of Harry Potter, even in a cameo role. Speaking to ComicBook.com, the British actor, known for playing ‘The Boy Who Lived’ in the eight-film-long franchise, confirmed that he’s not actively seeking a role in the show, adding that he’s quite “excited to have that torch passed.” Warner Bros. Discovery ordered a decade-long series adaptation of the controversial author J.K. Rowling’s books in April, which will feature an entirely new cast. Rowling will executive produce the series, which is rumoured to premiere sometime in 2025 or 2026.
“My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere,” Radcliffe said in the interview. “So I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.” Radcliffe’s comments on cameo appearances do hold some weight, with modern blockbusters oftentimes including past actors for nostalgia purposes or simply to drive older audiences to theatres. The Ezra Miller-led The Flash is a good example of that, with the film using multiversal shenanigans as an excuse to carry out somewhat illogical fan service, instead of telling a coherent story.
The Wizarding World on the big screen was originally planned to continue with five films in the Fantastic Beasts series, but development seems to be in a state of limbo after the third one — Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore — possibly due to the latest film’s lacklustre reception. As for the planned Harry Potter Max series, each of Rowling’s seven novels will be adapted into a single season of television, trying to recapture the same magic as Warner Bros’ movies did 25 years ago, albeit tailored for a new generation. The story largely follows the titular 11-year-old orphaned boy, who upon learning that he’s a wizard is whisked away on a whimsical journey to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to harness his magical powers and learn the truth behind his biological parents’ death.
Since his stint in the Harry Potter films, lead Radcliffe has appeared in a bunch of theatre plays and movies in absurd roles — even playing a washed-up zombie in Oscar-winning directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s Swiss Army Man. He will next be seen in the fourth season of TBS’ anthology comedy series ‘Miracle Workers’ as wasteland warrior Sid, navigating a fictional dystopia called Boomtown. Geraldine Viswanathan (Bad Education) co-stars in it as a ruthless warlord, coming to terms with the existential terms of married life and small-town living.
The Harry Potter series is allegedly eyeing a release sometime in 2025–26, exclusively on Max.
