Finn Wolfhard made his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live with a pre-taped sketch that parodied HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series and the show Heated Rivalry. The bit, titled Heated Wizardry, featured Wolfhard as Harry Potter and Ben Marshall as Ron Weasley in a humorous take on their rivalry and romance. The episode also celebrated the end of Stranger Things with surprise appearances from Wolfhard's co-stars.
Finn Wolfhard, known for his role in Stranger Things, hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time on the episode aired this weekend. The highlight was a pre-taped sketch called “Heated Wizardry,” which spoofed HBO’s forthcoming Harry Potter television adaptation by infusing it with elements from the upcoming series Heated Rivalry.
In the sketch, Wolfhard portrayed Harry Potter, while comedian Ben Marshall played Ron Weasley. The voiceover introduced the premise: “Coming soon to HBO, the beloved wizarding world of ‘Harry Potter’ makes its television debut,” noting it as “an all-new story hastily written after the success of a certain other HBO show.” The duo's interaction began innocently on their first day at Hogwarts, with Ron saying, “You dropped your wand. It’s lovely, by the way,” to which Harry replied, “I’d love to see yours sometime.”
The parody escalated to highlight a Quidditch rivalry mirroring the hockey dynamic between characters Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry. Under an invisibility cloak, Harry asked Hermione, “Hermione, what’s the spell to make something bigger?” Later, in the locker room after a match, Harry lamented, “I couldn’t catch the snitch,” and Ron responded, “You caught something more important, my attention,” before Harry used the Expelliarmus spell to disarm Ron's towel.
The cast included James Austin Johnson as Severus Snape, Chloe Fineman as Hermione, Ashley Padilla as Professor McGonagall, and Kenan Thompson as Alastor “Mad Eye” Moody. Jason Momoa made a cameo as Hagrid, delivering a twisted line: “You’re a homo, Harry,” parodying the original “You’re a wizard, Harry.” A voiceover clarified that all characters were “all 18+ in this” since “Hogwarts is like college now,” and a fake quote from J.K. Rowling stated she was “not a part of this.”
During Wolfhard's opening monologue, he addressed growing up, saying, “I know a lot of people still see me as the kid from ‘Stranger Things,’ right? But I’m 23 now, and I’m proud to officially announce that I am a man.” Co-stars Caleb McLaughlin, 24, and Gaten Matarazzo, 23, joined him onstage, declaring, “And neither are we!” This marked the celebration of Stranger Things' conclusion on December 31 after five seasons and nearly 10 years.
