Cillian Murphy might play Voldemort?
Ralph Fiennes, who played the supervillain in the previous franchise, sparked a massive wave of discussions among fans of the 'Harry Potter' universe by stating that Cillian Murphy has allegedly already been cast as Voldemort in the new HBO 'Harry Potter' series.
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His words quickly spread across media and social networks, though there is still no official confirmation of who will play the main antagonist of the franchise, according to Ukrainian Vogue.
Ralph Fiennes made this statement during a conversation with journalists at a public event related to the film '28 Years Later: Temple of Bones'. The actor, who played Voldemort in the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling's novels, was asked directly: who should 'take his place' in the HBO television reboot of 'Harry Potter'?
Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort
In a video that quickly went viral on TikTok, Fiennes responded: "I was told the role is already taken, isn't it? I think Cillian Murphy is a very good choice."
However, almost immediately after this statement, Ralph Fiennes began to doubt his own words. He repeatedly asked if the role of Voldemort had indeed already been cast, and later openly admitted: "I don't know. I thought it had already happened." This moment of uncertainty only amplified the confusion surrounding Cillian Murphy's possible casting as Voldemort.
The situation is particularly controversial because Cillian Murphy, star of 'Peaky Blinders', 'Oppenheimer', and 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley', previously publicly denied his involvement in the 'Harry Potter' series.
In September 2025, on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor noted that he only learned about the rumors regarding the role of Voldemort from his children. According to him, he had not received any official offer. At the same time, Cillian Murphy emphasized that after Ralph Fiennes, it would be difficult for anyone to play the role, calling Fiennes a film legend.
At the same time, this is not the first time Ralph Fiennes has openly supported the idea of casting Cillian Murphy as Voldemort. Previously, on the show Watch What Happens Live, the actor called Murphy "a fantastic actor" and openly stated that he fully supports such a choice for the HBO series. It was these very words from Fiennes that had previously fueled numerous fan theories.
As of now, HBO has not officially confirmed who will play Voldemort in the new Harry Potter series. Media representatives have reached out to HBO, Cillian Murphy, and Ralph Fiennes for comment, but no official statements have been published yet.
The casting of Voldemort remains one of the biggest intrigues of the upcoming series.