"He goes, 'Well there is one, it's Avada Kedavra'": Jason Isaacs finally addresses a long raging Harry Potter debate from the second movie

Jason Isaacs has just highlighted a significant difference between one of the Harry Potter films and its book counterpart, a topic that has long sparked debate among Wizarding World fans.

Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the films, is undoubtedly one of the franchise's best villains. He was first introduced in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as Draco Malfoy's father. The character was deeply integrated into the film's plot and was part of a scene that has sparked multiple conversations among fans.

Yes, we're talking about Lucius' final scene in the movie, where he nearly kills Harry Potter. However, that scene was not in the book. The scene shows Lucius and Harry after all the Basilisk drama has ended. As they face each other, the former mutters the Killing Curse, which is stopped by Dobby, saving Potter.

But the scene, as Isaacs has now revealed, didn't actually include that part at all. He was simply asked to say a spell, and since it was his first time working on the franchise, he didn't know any. With help from someone on set, the actor ended up using the Killing Curse without knowing its true meaning.

Speaking about the incident during a panel at Fan Expo Denver, Isaacs said,

There was a bit when we were standing up talking — and, you know, I'm meant to pull my wand out and someone said, "You should start a spell," and I thought "I don't know any spells!" And so I asked and looked around...and there's this one bloke, and he goes "Well there is one, it's Avada Kedavra". [...] When the film comes out a year later, 100,000 people write letters to me going: "You were going to kill Harry Potter!" It was day two on the set. I wasn’t that familiar with everything going on. I got overenthusiastic. I knocked myself out."

More details about Jason Isaacs' role in the Harry Potter franchise

Jason Isaacs gave Lucius Malfoy real weight in the Harry Potter films by making him seem dangerous without ever raising his voice. Over the course of six films, Isaacs transformed Lucius from a confident and cruel character to a desperate and unraveling one. You can literally see the power drain from him as the war continues. He goes from threatening children to begging for his family’s safety, and Isaacs makes every part of that fall feel earned.

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The actor also brought his own ideas to the table. A long blond wig, that snake cane, and a sneering attitude that wasn’t in the script. That famous “Let us hope Mr Potter will always be around…” line? Totally improvised. Isaacs effortlessly transformed him into one of the franchise’s most memorable villains, with his signature sneer and enunciation of Harry Potter's name, along with his iconic blonde hair, bow, and shiny black robes.

The Harry Potter franchise is available to stream on Disney+.

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