Earlier this year, Ralph Fiennes appeared to confirm that Cillian Murphy would be succeeding him as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter TV series.
However, the Oscar winner set the record straight at the Peaky Blinders premiere, saying he is ‘categorically not’ playing the Dark Lord.
The 49-year-old then rather emphatically finished ”Can you make that the headline?’.
However, soon after Cillian ruled himself out of playing He Who Shall Not be Named to The Times, a new name began to be whispered online.
According to those with forbidden arcane knowledge (i.e. access to social media), Paul Bettany is at the top of HBO’s list to play Harry’s noseless nemesis.
The news comes from scooper Daniel Richtman, who’s one of the more reliable online scoopers, although take this latest rumour with a pinch of salt.
Still, despite this just being a rumour, fans quite like the idea of Bettany playing Tom Riddle.
@SkywalkerMcFly_ wrote on X ‘That’s actually a phenomenal choice’. While @DaFilmFanatic called hoim ‘a terrific choice!’
Why did people think Cillian Murphy was playing Voldemort?
The rumours that Cillian was playing Voldemort began roughly six months ago (according to Reddit) after a scooper claimed to know someone working on the Harry Potter show as a background actor.
That person made several unverified claims about the show, including that it was filming at Hemel Hempstead and the aforementioned claims about Voldemort’s casting.
When the Hemel Hempstead ‘leak’ turned out to be true, people used it as proof that the Cillian rumours were true as well.
When Ralph Finnes backed Cillian as a ‘very good choice’ it was like pouring gasoline on a fire.
Despite this, the Oppenheimer star insists he wasn’t even aware his name was in the mix, given that he’s famously offline and out of the loop when it comes to showbiz rumours.
‘Being a personality is not what I am good at,’ he told The Times as he delved deeper into the world of celebrity.
‘But then existing in this world? Talking about yourself, going on f***ing red carpets? It’s not healthy if you start to believe this s**t, and I’m really bad at it too.’
The beloved Irish film star concluded modestly: ‘I’m an incredibly average person, really.’
What did Ralph Fiennes say about Cillian playing Voldemort?
In his original, surprising comments, Ralph, who played Voldemort in the original movies, appeared to have let a major casting secret slip.
Attending a red carpet event in late January, he was asked: ‘Who do you think should fill your shoes for Voldemort in the upcoming HBO show?’
He replied: ‘Well, I’m told they’re already filled, aren’t they?’
Visibly confused, the journalist then probed, ‘Who do you think it should be? If anyone could do Voldemort the way that you did Voldemort…’
‘I’ve already said, I think Cillian Murphy is very good,’ Ralph responded, before clearly realising he might have said too much.
‘I think they’ve cast it, haven’t they?’, he asked.
The interviewer responded with, ‘I hope so. I love Cillian Murphy,’ as Ralph turned to his team, looking flustered.
‘I don’t know. I thought they had,’ he stuttered, jokingly scolding the journo for inadvertently catching him off-guard.
A clip of the interaction soon went viral, and Harry Potter fans had plenty to say, with some declaring Cillian a perfect fit, while others were ‘disappointed’, given the controversy surrounding the TV series due to the author’s anti-trans views.
But now it appears that disappointment was unwarranted, as Cillian had already previously shut down any suggestion that he might step into the villainous cloak.
‘No, no, no. It would be very hard to follow Ralph Fiennes,’ he told Variety last October.
When reminded that anyone else reportedly up for the role has said the same thing, Cillian added: ‘Ha! No, I don’t play those games.’
How did fans react to Cillian Murphy ruling himself out of playing Voldemort?
The internet is largely pleased with the development, with Reddit user ElmoreHayne saying, ‘good for him,’ while MichaSound wasn’t convinced to begin with: ‘I can’t imagine Cillian Murphy committing to a prominent role in a massive franchise that would have him tied to the project for years on end.’
‘Him clearing up the Voldemort rumours makes sense. Fan casting can get out of hand, and whoever plays Lord Voldemort in will already face big expectations,’ added PixelCreamz.
Who else is rumoured to be playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter TV show?
As for which other actors are in the race to play Voldemort instead, Matt Smith and Tom Hiddleston have been listed by bookies, as well as Matthew Macfadyen, who is already voicing him in Audible’s audiobook series.
Tilda Swinton’s name has also been rumoured, with articles surfacing last autumn that she’d be portraying a female Voldemort.
We have no idea when Voldemort’s casting will be confirmed, but when it is, the actor will join actors such as John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape.
As for the three child leads, Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger.
A final release date is yet to be confirmed, but the first Harry Potter season is expected to land on HBO in the United States in early or mid-2027.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.