James reveals if Asriel loves his daughter in ‘His Dark Materials’

• James McAvoy plays Lord Asriel in His Dark Materials.
• The story centres on Lyra Belacqua.
• Dafne Keen stars as Lyra and her best friend Will (Amir Wilson).

We recently spoke with James McAvoy about his part as Lord Asriel in the television adaptation of Philip Pullman’s novels, His Dark Materials, which will premiere its third season in December.

The series centres on Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen), whose narrative picks up after kidnappings of children from London. Lyra has grown up in an alternate London where the government is controlled by a powerful religious organisation known as the Magisterium.

McAvoy portrays Lord Asriel, Lyra’s estranged father, who appears more concerned with fighting the Authority, their universe’s version of deity, than caring for his offspring.

Beyond the several worlds that Lyra and her buddy Will (Amir Wilson) discover and the journeys they take, the story’s central theme is Lyra’s development.

Lyra has strained connections with both of her biological parents, whereas parents frequently play a significant role in their children’s development.

One that is aloof with Lord Asriel and tense with Mrs. Coulter (Ruth Wilson).

One thing was on my mind when discussing the forthcoming season with McAvoy. Even so, does Asriel adore his daughter? Despite everything he has done to keep Lyra secure and far away, he is not at all the loving parent you might anticipate. For his experiment, he even severed her friendship with his demon. McAvoy states his opinion of Asriel’s friendship with his daughter as follows:

Right? I don’t know that he does, to be perfectly honest with you. I don’t know that he does. I think he will ultimately have to choose whether to be a father or not, but I don’t think he knows her. I think he can admire certain aspects of her personality, but I don’t think — If he loves her, it’s a very distant kind of love to the love that I know, in terms of, if love is not just how you feel, it’s what you do, then he doesn’t love her actively.

Despite all the talk of Daemons, the Authority, and the Magisterium, McAvoy revealed that his favourite parts of filming actually involve setting up the world:

I think some of my favorite stuff, weirdly, is the exposition. Usually, I hate exposition. Actors are pretty allergic to exposition. But in this show, there’s something really joyful about explaining what the hell is going on, and what it actually means, like what is the dæmon and like, how does it actually work? And what is the Authority and like, how is that Authority, not the creator, but it’s still a god, but is it their God? Is it The God and all that. Unpacking all that stuff is really interesting.

According to McAvoy, Asriel may not care for his daughter, but he does support his cause—waging war against god—and believes in it. If you are familiar with His Dark Materials, you are aware that many of the topics concern religion, and specifically organised religion. Is Asriel a capable commander in this holy battle despite the fact that he may be a lousy father? Asriel’s greatest assets and shortcomings, according to McAvoy, are as follows:

His greatest strength being his self-belief is also his greatest weakness. It’s his complete belief that he is right, and that his means are justified by the ends that he is aiming for, and the ultimate goal that he is looking to achieve. And that that’s right, no matter what he does wrong. That’s right, because for the greater good, he can commit no wrong you know, and I think that creates a kind of monster.

Although it may be difficult for viewers to decide whether to support Asriel in his war or not, the ultimate power of the Magisterium is far more oppressive than Asriel’s deeds. The third and final season of His Dark Materials promises to delve into The Amber Spyglass, the trilogy’s third and concluding book, and provide a resolution to the conflict between good and evil.

HBO’s third season of His Dark Materials will debut on December 5.

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