7 Most Valid Criticisms Of The Harry Potter Franchise That The TV Reboot Can Fix

Slytherin students deserve better representation in the Harry Potter universe, as not all of them are bad people.
The portrayal of female characters in Harry Potter should be more diverse and less stereotypical.
HBO’s Harry Potter remake has the opportunity to address inconsistencies in the magical world and give more attention to character deaths.

The Harry Potter franchise has faced a lot of criticism over the years, but there are a few valid complaints that HBO’s remake could address. Overall, Harry’s story has been loved for generations. The wizarding world and its themes have something to offer to audiences of all ages, and this has allowed Harry Potter to stand the test of time. However, it’s far from perfect. There are a few details about this fictional world and the way it was constructed that are a little hard to swallow. Thankfully, the upcoming reboot is a chance to make subtle changes for the better.

HBO’s Harry Potter TV remake, which is expected to begin streaming in 2026, will dedicate entire seasons to each of J.K. Rowling’s books, and this means an opportunity for a book-faithful screen adaptation at long last. Fans will be eager to see some of the events that the Harry Potter movies missed, and there is some room to more overtly dive into some of the extended canon that has been explored since the books concluded. Of course, HBO must avoid making too many changes to the story of Harry Potter, but that isn’t to say the series can’t address some fair complaints.

Slytherin and Gryffindor’s rivalry plays a significant role in Harry Potter, and this certainly shouldn’t change in the upcoming reboot. This sense of competition truly drives the plot along, and Harry and Draco must have that innate prejudice against one another throughout the series. However, one of the more frustrating aspects of Harry Potter is that every single Slytherin student mentioned throughout the series was an awful person. There were several good Slytherin adults spattered throughout, but the students themselves were all pretty despicable.

After so many years of fans growing to love Slytherin (or identify with the house themselves), the upcoming series must portray the house in a more realistic light.

Since the Harry Potter books are from Harry’s perspective, and he was pitted against Slytherin from day one, it makes some sense that he wouldn’t notice any of the good eggs. However, a TV show would have a somewhat broader perspective. After so many years of fans growing to love Slytherin (or identify with the house themselves), the upcoming series must portray the house in a more realistic light. What’s more, it would be nice if all the Hogwarts teachers didn’t seem to despise Slytherin as well.