J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World has entertained the public for decades, and is showing no signs of slowing down. The franchise continues to be expanded with The Cursed Child plays and Fantastic Beasts franchise, Harry Potter's years at Hogwarts are the most beloved part of Rowling's work. Actor Jason Isaacs played the villainous Lucius Malfoy in a whopping five Harry Potter movies, ending with The Deathly Hallows Part 2. And now he's revealed what he thinks happened to Lucius following the Battle of Hogwarts.
Lucius Malfoy was a loyal servant of Voldemort to a fault throughout his time on screen. Siding with the Dark Lord resulted in him being sent to Azkaban following the events of The Order of the Phoenix. The family manages to survive the Battle of Hogwarts, with Narcissa saving Harry's life, but what happened to Lucius afterward? Jason Isaacs recently put his two cents in about his signature character, saying:
I think what would’ve happened afterwards, is that he would become a shell of himself. His money would protect him because money always protects people, and I think he would’ve lost — if he ever had any — the respect of his wife and his son. Society would shun him and he would cower inside his mansion and drink himself into an early grave. And frankly, deserve it.
Well, that's bleak. While Draco Malfoy was able to be redeemed and eventually be on good terms with Harry in adulthood, his father wasn't so lucky. At least according to Jason Isaac's idea bout the villain. Although considering just how much villainy he was guilty of, this makes a great deal of sense.
The Malfoy family have a fascinating story in the Harry Potter franchise. While they're originally prejudiced and evil, Draco and Narcissis take a turn in their last few appearances. They ultimately abandon their previous belief system for the greater good, and are spared from being sent to Azkaban following The Deathly Hallows. But Lucius Malfoy's loyalty to Voldemort completely destroys him from the inside out.
During his same conversation with Syfy Wire, Jason Isaacs went on to explain this dynamic, and how You-Know-Who's affect on Lucius Malfoy resulted in his isolation. As the actor put it,
Onscreen, you can see he’s always slightly stubbly and red-eyed and drinking whenever he can. I always thought he drank too much. And then, in the final battle at Hogwarts, it became clear to him, particularly when Narcissa and Draco ran off, that there was no place for him in either future. Voldemort was not gonna have him by his side. He’d already [taken] my wand at the table in Malfoy Manor, which is public humiliation, almost castration.
In the end, Voldemort only ever truly cared about his own interest. And he was all too happy to see his loyal follower Lucius Malfoy sent to Azkaban, before he hijacked Malfoy Manner and fractured his relationship with Draco and Narcissa. While the latter two had each other in the wake of the second Wizarding War, Jason Isaacs believes his character wasted away in isolation.
The Wizarding World is expected to continue with Fantastic Beasts 3, which currently has a release date of November 12th 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
