Who Will Play Lord Voldemort in HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series? Here’s The Latest Rumors

Production on HBO’s highly anticipated reboot of the “Harry Potter” films, now in series format, is well underway, with the cast, including Dominic McLaughlin as The Boy Who Lived himself, already having been spotted filming in iconic locations throughout London. 

Plenty of other stars, including “Conclave” actor John Lithgow as Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, “I May Destroy You” breakout star Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape, Oscar-nominated actress Janet McTeer as Professor Minvera McGonagall and “Shaun of the Dead” comedian Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, has similarly been confirmed for the cast alongside fresh faces like Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout, who will portray Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley opposite McLaughlin’s Harry Potter in the new series, set to hit HBO in 2027. 

While HBO recently confirmed that the reboot project will run for an impressive 10 years, with some seasons set to be filmed back-to-back to “keep the magic alive” as the child actors age with the series, some key roles remain, at least officially, uncast. 

Namely, the role of the series’ main antagonist, Lord Voldemort, is still a mystery. That being said, fan speculation has placed several actors, including stars from projects like “Doctor Who,” “Oppenheimer” and “Succession” in the running to take over the role after Ralph Fiennes portrayed the Dark Lord in the 8-film Warner Bros. franchise from 2005–2011. 

While Fiennes didn’t join the original film franchise until its fourth installment, “The Goblet of Fire,” HBO previously reported that the role has already been cast for the new series, though the network remains tight-lipped about who will be playing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. 

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Former Voldemort Actor Wants Cillian Murphy to Take Over the Mantle in HBO Reboot

Rumors online have placed Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” actor Cillian Murphy as a front-runner for the role in the months leading up to the start of production. The Irish star similarly received an endorsement from Fiennes himself, who shared his thoughts on the actor during an appearance on “What What Happens Live” last December. 

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“Cillian is a fantastic actor,” Fiennes said, responding to speculation that Murphy would be taking over his iconic role as Voldemort. “That’s a wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favor of Cillian.”

Despite a glowing review from Fiennes, Murphy’s rumored casting is now considered a long shot, particularly given his busy schedule with upcoming projects like “Steve” and “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” already on the actor’s roster for the coming years. 

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Fans Thinks Former ‘Doctor Who’ Lead Matt Smith Could Portray the Dark Lord

Matt Smith, known for playing the eponymous role in the 11th season of “Doctor Who,” has similarly been rumored to be in the running to play Voledmort in the upcoming series, which is currently scheduled to air its final episodes in 2037. 

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The English actor, also known for his roles in major projects like “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and “Terminator: Genisys” is no stranger to portraying villainous characters in a fantasy setting, especially after playing the role of Prince Daemon Targaryen in the “Game of Thrones” spin-off series, “House of the Dragon.”  

While fans have speculated that Smith could potentially join the series, he has since fallen out of favor after Audible announced that the original “Harry Potter” novels would be receiving all-new full-cast audio editions, with each role voiced by a different actor. 

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Could ‘Succession’ Star Matthew Macfayden be Tapped to Play He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?

While most of the actors revealed to be joining the full-cast audiobook project, including “House” star Hugh Laurie as Dumbledore and “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” actress Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall, are not set to appear in the HBO series, others, like Arabella Stanton as Hermione, will portray the same character in both projects. 

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The recently released lineup for the Audible project revealed that “Succession” star Matthew Macfayden will be voicing the role of Lord Voledmort for all seven books in the series penned by J.K. Rowling, leading some fans to speculate that MacFayden may actually be playing the Dark Lord, also known as Tom Riddle, in the HBO series as well. 

A classically trained actor, MacFayden has starred in projects like “Wuthering Heights” (1998), “Pride & Prejudice” (2005), “Anna Karenina” (2012) and “Deadpool & Wolverine” over the course of his career. Will taking on the role of Lord Voldemort be his next starring role? 

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Will More Than One Actor Take on the Role of Tom Riddle in HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot?

Unfortunately for eager fans, HBO has announced its intention to keep the identity of Voldemort’s actor a secret until the series premieres in 2027. It similarly remains possible that more than one actor will portray the antagonist throughout the series over the coming decade. 

In the original film franchise, the role was initially portrayed by Richard Bremmer, who appeared briefly as the Dark Lord in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” growing out of the back of Professor Quirrell’s (Ian Hart) head. Several other actors portrayed the villain throughout the series, mainly as flashbacks of his younger self, including Christian Coulson in “The Chamber of Secrets,” as well as Frank Dillane and Fienne’s own son, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, both of whom portrayed the role in “The Half-Blood Prince.”