RUMOR: Cillian Murphy in Talks to Play Potter Villain—But it’s Not Lord Voldemort
jesslind | Feb 13, 2025 |
New casting rumors are abuzz for the upcoming HBO Max Harry Potter series, this time revolving around Cillian Murphy. The Oscar-nominated actor is well known for his roles in Christopher Nolan’s Inception, Batman Begins, and Oppenheimer, as well as the hit television series Peaky Blinders, written by Steven Knight.
First associated with potentially playing the role of the main antagonist of the Potter series, Lord Voldemort himself, and even publicly endorsed by Ralph Fiennes, who played the dark wizard in the film franchise, this time, it would appear the actor is being eyed for the role of Professor Quirinus Quirrell.
Harry first encounters the professor, who is described as timid and delicate, at the Leaky Cauldron before heading to Diagon Alley to purchase his school supplies. His nerves, clearly expressed through his obvious stammer, are so pronounced that it was rumored he stuffed the turban he wears full of garlic to ward off a vampire he had encountered in past travels. Before taking the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Quirrell had taught the subject of Muggle Studies, a class teaching the young students about the daily lives of Muggles (non-magical people) and everyday objects/inventions used. Quirrell, portrayed by Ian Hart in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001, served as the series’ first major antagonist, hosting Lord Voldemort on the back of his head, essentially acting as a Horcrux until meeting his demise through Harry at the end. While Quirrell was a relatively minor figure in the films, in the text, the reader does get glimpses into the professor’s doings through Harry’s eyes, particularly in one scene where he overhears Snape confronting Quirrell alone.
“You don’t want me as your enemy, Quirrell.”
“I-I don’t know what you —”
“You know perfectly well what I mean.”
— Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
If any of these rumors are to be believed, Cillian Murphy is close to landing the role of Professor Quirinus Quirrell in HBO’s Harry Potter reboot. The scoop stems from industry insider Daniel Richtman, who shared this tidbit on his Patreon, claiming that Murphy is the frontrunner to play the ill-fated professor. Warner Bros. has yet to confirm or deny any of the rumors surrounding the show.
The Harry Potter reboot has made great waves with several of the casting choices, most recently with John Lithgow, who is reportedly in final talks to play Albus Dumbledore. Being the first American to portray a major character in the Harry Potter universe, this has caused a great uproar with some fans and is, of course, a departure from J.K. Rowling’s longstanding preference for British actors. The most controversial, which is, honestly, silly to state, is the rumor of the chosen actor for Severus Snape, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), due to the possibility of race-swapping the character despite the descriptions in the text being very clear about Snape’s appearance.
As for the other known professors, several names swirl about; Sharon Horgan and Lesley Manville are potential contenders for Professor Minerva McGonagall, and Brett Goldstein is a candidate for Hagrid. For the Golden Trio, over 32,000 hopefuls have submitted audition tapes for the roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron respectfully. The Harry Potter HBO series is being overseen by showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod and is set to premiere in late 2026 or early 2027, with filming taking place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the same as the previous films.
With a series this beloved and well-known, the grand reactions from fans, positive or negative, are not surprising. That said, regardless of any truth to rumors, it raises the stakes for this series and whether it will succeed in the eyes of those who hold the story and characters dear or if it’ll speed head-first into failure and be smashed to pieces like Harry’s Nimbus 2000 in the third novel, Prisoner of Azkaban, when trusty broom met its end with the school’s infamous Whomping Willow.
Let us know what you think of Cillian Murphy playing Quirinus Quirrell in the comments!
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Comments (1)
Really enjoying this casting with Lithgow and now, Murphy. Both good actors that can tap into a sinister dark side when they need to. Need to make a role for Sophie Thatcher. Trying to think of others they should cast. Maybe some Tom Holland. I do think they should always target a core group of young kids like they did originally though. I like the faculty vs. student body angle used.
I adore British actors, but they don’t have to be in everything. Just saw The Gorge and I dig Miles Teller. Also, Shailene Woodley has chops. Really like the Rowling is willing to look around and tap other actors and sources. Rowling is one of the few pleasant surprises in entertainment.