Now that HBO’s Harry Potter television series is definitely happening, there are many questions about what the show will do with the original plot and how it will add or take away from what the film franchise already did, and there is one particular storyline above all that definitely needs fleshing out in the TV series. Back in April 2023, at a Max streaming event, Warner Bros. and Discovery announced that a new era of Harry Potter is coming via a television series created by HBO. Currently, the highly-anticipated Harry Potter remake is set to be released in 2026.

Remaking the Harry Potter franchise is a big undertaking, and although HBO has a strong track record, there are still many obstacles to overcome and pivotal choices to make. It is well-known by now that the Harry Potter film franchise ignored certain aspects of the Harry Potter books, and in actuality, a big reason for the creation of this new TV show is for a more book-accurate Harry Potter project. However, that isn’t necessarily all that fans want. In fact, there are certain aspects of Harry Potter that, if added, would certainly make the TV show better for fans.

HBO’s Harry Potter Remake Must Add A More In-Depth Marauders Storyline

The Marauders deserve more of a spotlight

If HBO wants to make their Harry Potter series better for fans, then adding a more in-depth Marauders storyline is definitely the way to go. The Marauders first appear in Harry Potter in the third book, and third movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The Marauders are a group of friends from decades ago made up of Harry’s father, James, his godfather, Sirius, his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, and Ron Weasley’s pet rat-turned-human-man, Peter Pettigrew. Their spotlight is dim and brief in the movie, and could be bigger on the small screen.

Ultimately, the Marauders deserve a bigger plotline because their story is one of the franchise’s most interesting. Although they take up a fraction of the plot, what occurs between these men, on and off-screen, is incredibly heartwarming and devastating. In just Prisoner of Azkaban alone, Harry learns so much more about his parents and the family he could have had if Voldemort had not intervened. The Marauders offer a glimpse, for both Harry and the audience, at a better time in the wizarding world. Somehow, it evokes nostalgia and a longing for more that HBO can finally provide.

Harry Potter Fans Have Wanted More Marauders Content Since Prisoner Of Azkaban

The Marauders are a fan-favorite

It is difficult to stress just how much the Marauders are beloved when they are included so little throughout the Harry Potter franchise. Although Sirius, Remus, and Peter remain characters in the books and movies after Prisoner of Azkaban, their Marauders pasts are really only explored in the third installment. But even just those few moments during the climax of the film have invigorated Harry Potter fans. Despite being a small subplot, the Marauders have stuck with audiences for a very long time, and especially when it comes to the movie adaptations, fans have always wanted more.

A strong indicator of how much Harry Potter fans love the Marauders is how much fanfiction and fan theory has been dedicated to them since the books and movies became popular. There is as much fanfiction about the Marauders as there is about Harry, Ron, and Hermione. These characters have been fleshed out by fans in a way that the Harry Potter books and movies never did.

At this point, the Marauders have become their own fan-made entity, separate from the official franchise. That is how much Harry Potter fans are dedicated to the previous generation at Hogwarts.

A More Detailed Marauder Storyline Makes Harry Potter’s Main Plot More Tragic

Marauders show what could have been

While adding more of the Marauders to HBO’s Harry Potter would be a gift for fans, that is not the only reason to flesh out their storyline. In fact, more Marauders would actually benefit Harry’s storyline. Finding out that Sirius Black is not only his uncle, but was framed as a criminal by Peter Pettigrew is a shocking revelation, almost as shocking as Lupin’s identity as a werewolf and Snape’s bad relationship with all of them. These reveals are groundbreaking for Harry, and it would make more sense for his character to continue being shocked beyond Prisoner of Azkaban.

Furthermore, the context is pivotal. In just one night, Harry learns so much more about his parents. Not only does he discover that there are living people who were close to his parents, but he realizes that they still hold love for him too. Although Harry enjoys the love of the Weasleys in the first two installments, Prisoner of Azkaban finally gives him his own family, and this is too important to keep restrained to one season. The Marauders’ tragic story of friendship and betrayal has a huge impact on Harry, and it needs to spill over into the consequent seasons.

How HBO’s Remake Can Expand On The Marauders’ Story Without A Spinoff

Giving the Marauders plenty of screen time

There are many subtle ways in which the Marauders can play a bigger role in HBO’s Harry Potter series. First and foremost, there is screen time. While Sirius and Lupin play significant roles in Prisoner of Azkaban, they continue to be in Harry’s life beyond that, and the TV show needs to emphasize that. Sirius, in particular, is Harry’s only surviving family member, and therefore, he deserves more screen time. Furthermore, the Marauders storyline in Prisoner of Azkaban cannot be fumbled. Showrunners must make it a big deal, and force it to live up to what occurs in the 1999 movie.

In reality, a spinoff would not be a bad idea either. While the Marauders storyline in Prisoner of Azkaban is one of the best in the series, what fans really want is an exploration of the Marauders school days. HBO can certainly do this via well-timed flashbacks, however a spinoff would not be the worst option. In this way, showrunners could really focus on the friendship and the eventual falling out, but most importantly, give new Marauders content that only fans have been able to make for the past 25 years.

Overall, HBO will really have to focus on emphasis. Harry Potter is such an expansive story, and though it has been adapted before, there are ways to make the story feel different by emphasizing different parts. If HBO puts a big emphasis on Harry knowing very little about his parents, then the Marauders reveal will feel even bigger. If the show focuses heavily on the relationship between Harry and Sirius, it will feel even more tragic when he meets his unfortunate fate. All in all, the series has the opportunity to come at Harry Potter from a completely new angle.