His Dark Materials' James McAvoy Describes Lord Asriel As 'A Posh, English Indiana Jones' - Exclusive

It's time for fans and actors alike to say goodbye to "His Dark Materials," but not before a farewell season. Season 3 of the fan-favorite series is well underway, and we are finally seeing the culmination of Lord Asriel's plans. And while fans love Asriel and his posh yet dastardly ways, no one cares about this character more than James McAvoy himself. So, how does the actor describe Lord Asriel? Well, he's taking a page from Harrison Ford's book, with a little British twist.

Looper was invited to the New York Comic Con press room, where we exclusively spoke to "His Dark Materials" star James McAvoy about his role on the show and what fans can expect from the 3rd and final season. In the process, he described Lord Asriel as "a posh, English Indiana Jones" — and when you think about it, there's no better description of the actor's unique villain.

On Lord Asriel's role in Season 3, James McAvoy said, "For the whole of Season 1, he's been talking about the whole of Season 2. Other people have been talking about what he's been talking about, which is going to war with the Authority, where you're finally going to see what that war looks like."

Though Asriel has his dark moments, he also has a pretty unique combination of characteristics. As McAvoy explained, "He's been an adventurer and a scholar, like a posh, English Indiana Jones type, a little bit. This time, he's a general. He's still an engineer, he's still an inventor, but he is a warmonger, and he is trying to bring war upon the heavens."

Yet the darker aspects of Asriel are the ones that McAvoy is most excited about. He added, "I want to see that. I'm looking forward to seeing him say, 'I'm not just talking about it anymore. This is it. We're coming for you.' That's really exciting."

"His Dark Materials" airs Mondays on HBO and HBO Max.