Marvel star Regan Aliyah believes one MCU project in particular could be the perfect answer to Harry Potter. Aliyah debuted in Marvel Studios' interconnected on-screen universe in the recently completed Ironheart. She showed up in the Disney+ series' final three episodes as fan-favorite comic book character Zelma Stanton, a young sorceress who has a history with Doctor Strange in the comics. While the show set her up for more with its exciting post-credit scene, her MCU future has not been confirmed coming out of the armor-clad adventure.
According to Ironheart's Regan Aliyah, a potential Strange Academy show could compete with the beloved Harry Potter franchise should Marvel Studios want to look in that direction. The seeds of a Strange Academy project have been laid in a few places around the MCU (most notably in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness).
Aliyah made her opinion known in a recent interview with Inverse, where she said Strange Academy, "could do something really, really cool, and tap a market that people are dying for," especially as so many people "wish they could support Harry Potter nowadays," alluding to the ongoing controversy surrounding Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling:
"All I can say is 'I hope so.' 'Strange Academy' could do something really, really cool, and tap a market that people are dying for. The reason that 'Harry Potter' is what it is because it really takes you to a world beyond what you know. So many people wish they could support 'Harry Potter' nowadays. They’re itching for something new that they can be super-fans of again. And in my head, 'Strange Academy' could really fill that space."
This, of course, comes as Warner Bros. and HBO are mid-development on a new Harry Potter reboot for TV, which is set to get in front of cameras soon.
A Strange Academy series was reportedly in the works at Marvel Studios at some point; however, earlier this year, it was revealed the project had been shelved alongside two other MCU titles (Nova and Terror Inc.).
Aliyah can be seen as Zelma Stanton in Ironheart, which is streaming in its entirety now on Disney+. The new series from executive producer Ryan Coogler stars Dominique Thorne as teenage supergenius Riri Williams. The show follows Riri as she contends with the magic-wielding criminal The Hood (Anthony Ramos) on her quest to perfect her Iron Man-like suit of superhero armor.
Why Strange Academy Would Be the Perfect MCU Answer to Harry Potter?
It might sound bizarre upon first hearing it, but Regan Aliyah might be right. Strange Academy could fill a Harry Potter-sized void in many fans' hearts if Marvel Studios wanted to go down that lane. Even though a Strange Academy series was reportedly shelved earlier this year, Marvel would be smart to pick it back up again and give it a shot.
In the comics, the Strange Academy line follows a series of young sorcerers being trained in the mystic arts, just like Stephen Strange was to become the super-powered spell-slinger Doctor Strange.
Like Rowling's Wizarding World, Strange Academy introduces fans to a cast of lovable adolescent main characters and follows them for years, both at school and outside of it, as they grapple with their newfound abilities.
It is a formula that works, as audiences become just as invested in the in-school teenage drama as they do the super-powered grand adventures each issue sends them on.
And, as Aliyah said, with the ongoing boycott against Harry Potter creator J. K. Rowling, a Strange Academy project could give fans a place to get their fill of this kind of media, while also being a ready-made formula for some multi-season Marvel storytelling.
Plus, it would likely mean getting more of Aliyah's Zelma Stanton (who has been a big winner coming out of Ironheart), which could mean good things for audiences.
