Marvel Star Targeted for ‘Harry Potter’ Role, MCU Future in Danger

One of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter reboot has nothing to do with Hogwarts houses or Quidditch teams.

It revolves around a character whose presence dominates the story long before he physically appears — the Dark Lord himself.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s television adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s seven novels is currently filming its first season. The project, announced three years ago, aims to retell the original story across multiple seasons for HBO.

Executives have repeatedly described the show as a “faithful adaptation” of the books. Each season will reportedly focus on one novel, allowing the story to unfold with far more detail than the eight-film franchise released between 2001 and 2011.

The ambitious scope has sparked plenty of debate.

Some fans have welcomed the idea of revisiting the wizarding world with more time devoted to book material that never made it to the screen. Others question whether the franchise needs another retelling so soon after the original films concluded.

The reboot also exists in the shadow of controversy surrounding Rowling herself.

The author’s outspoken criticism of the transgender community has alienated a portion of the fanbase. The debate has followed the HBO series from its earliest announcement.

Despite the discourse, the show is moving ahead quickly.

Production on Season 1 has not yet wrapped, but reports suggest Season 2 is already entering pre-production. The studio is said to be planning only a short hiatus between seasons as it builds a long-running television franchise.

A large portion of the cast is now confirmed.

Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, joined by Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The trio was chosen after a casting search that reportedly spanned thousands of young actors across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The adult cast is equally notable.

John Lithgow will portray Albus Dumbledore. Janet McTeer will step into the role of Professor McGonagall, while Paapa Essiedu has been cast as Severus Snape. Nick Frost will play Rubeus Hagrid.

Luke Thallon will portray Professor Quirinus Quirrell.

Yet one character remains conspicuously missing from the lineup.

The One Character HBO Has Not Cast

Lord Voldemort — the central villain of the series — has not been officially announced.

Some reports claim Warner Bros. intends to keep the casting secret until the show premieres. Other rumors suggest the character could even be reimagined in unexpected ways.

For a time, fan speculation focused heavily on one actor.

Cillian Murphy’s name circulated widely online as a potential candidate for the role. The Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer star eventually addressed the rumors directly.

“I’m categorically not,” Murphy told The Times. “Can you make that the headline?”

The speculation was not entirely without encouragement.

Ralph Fiennes, who portrayed Voldemort in the original films, expressed support for the idea when asked about Murphy taking over the role.

“I’m told [my shoes] are already filled, aren’t they?” Fiennes said in an interview shared on TikTok (via The Independent). “I think Cillian Murphy is very good. A very good choice.”

Murphy’s denial, however, effectively removed him from the conversation.

That has opened the door for new speculation — and one surprising name is now circulating among industry insiders.

Report Points to Marvel Actor Paul Bettany

According to industry scooper Daniel Richtman (via Comic Book Movie), Paul Bettany is currently HBO’s top choice to portray Voldemort in the upcoming series.

The actor is best known for his role as Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Bettany first appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) after previously voicing Tony Stark’s A.I., J.A.R.V.I.S. He later became a central figure in the Disney+ series WandaVision.

Bettany will reprise the role as White Vision in the Disney+ series VisionQuest. He is also rumored to appear in Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), one of the franchise’s most anticipated upcoming films.

If HBO ultimately casts Bettany as Voldemort, the choice would echo aspects of Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal.

Both actors share classical theater backgrounds and connections to the Royal Shakespeare Company. That pedigree often translates well to the heightened theatricality required for the Dark Lord.

Voldemort’s role in the early part of the story is smaller than many casual fans remember.

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the villain exists primarily as a hidden presence. The story eventually reveals that he has been secretly manipulating Professor Quirrell throughout Harry’s first year at Hogwarts.

The HBO series is expected to expand those moments.

Producers have repeatedly emphasized that the show will include storylines cut from the films. The first movie, for example, removed numerous details about Harry’s childhood with the Dursleys.

Additional sequences exploring Hogwarts life were also trimmed.

Television offers a different rhythm than film.

Longer seasons could allow the show to restore moments from the books that were previously condensed. The format also opens the door for deeper exploration of Voldemort’s mythology.

The films largely emphasized his return to power and his Horcrux storyline.

Earlier chapters of Tom Riddle’s transformation into Voldemort — particularly the memories explored in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — were significantly reduced in the movie adaptation.

A series structure could restore those threads.

If Bettany ultimately takes on the role, the casting may also affect his future within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Voldemort does not fully return in adult form until Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when Peter Pettigrew resurrects him.

From that point forward, however, the character becomes central to the story.

Any actor playing the Dark Lord would likely remain heavily involved through the final seasons of the series.

That type of long-term commitment could limit Bettany’s availability for frequent Marvel appearances.

For now, HBO has not confirmed the role.

But if the report proves accurate, the MCU’s Vision may soon find himself ruling a very different universe.