Harry Potter mania is now upon us yet again following the release of Hogwarts Legacy last week, with the much-anticipated video game immediately rocketing up the Steam charts like a Seeker on his Firebolt. Nevertheless, the game’s arrival has likewise been met with an unceasing tide of backlash and controversy, stemming from both creator J.K. Rowling’s personal anti-trans views and the troubling and insensitive themes that are baked into the Wizarding World’s lore.
All in all, then, despite how epic it might’ve sounded a few years ago, the level to which the Harry Potter franchise is tainted these days should make fans relieved that Stan Lee’s attempts to get J.K. Rowling to team up with Marvel to make a crossover happen never went anywhere. Back in May 2018, the late comic book creator tagged the author on Twitter to jokingly ask her if she’d be interested in having Harry Potter‘s witches and wizards cross paths with Marvel’s own magicians.
“Hey [J.K. Rowling] if you ever want me to send Doctor Strange & The X-Men to Hogwarts to teach a few classes, just let me know. I think they could also hold down the fort against Voldemort.”
Obviously, various corporate issues would likely arise if a Marvel/Harry Potter crossover was ever seriously considered — the latter property is owned by Warner Bros. (now Warner Bros. Discovery), which famously also heads up Marvel’s chief rivals, DC. The biggest thing that’s changed over the past five years, however, is what the public response to such an initiative would be. A glimpse at the replies to Lee’s tweet reveals reams of comments from folks losing it at just the possibility of Stephen Strange and Severus Snape having a duel or Scarlet Witch teaching Hermione Granger Charms class.
If someone from Marvel floated this idea on Twitter now, though, we’re betting it would be quickly shot down in flames by many furious at the mere suggestion the House of Ideas should join forces with Harry Potter. So it’s probably for the best that Lee’s call to action was met with radio silence from Rowling and this potential cross-pollination was Avada Kedavra-d before it could damage either brand.