Paul Bettany has finally addressed his rumored casting as Lord Voldemort in HBO Max’s upcoming Harry Potter reboot.
After Cillian Murphy definitively shot down speculation that he would be taking on the villainous role, fan theories turned to Bettany, 54, prompting the WandaVision actor to confess Sunday that he would not be involved in the project.
“I haven’t heard anything about that,” Bettany told ScreenRant at the Saturn Awards, adding that he loves the iconic franchise. “I mean I’m a big fan of the [intellectual property], and I’m a big fan of HBO, but nobody has called me up about it.”
Actor Tilda Swinton has also been linked to the part of the Dark Lord, but unlike Murphy and Bettany, she has not denied the rumors. Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes in the original film franchise, is one of the biggest roles yet to be cast, since the character will not make a major appearance until later in the series.
HBO’s new take on J.K. Rowling’s books is being adapted for a seven-season run on the streaming platform, with each installment adapting one of the beloved books, starting in 2027.
Child stars Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton were cast as the main trio — Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger — while the adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and comedian Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Warwick Davis is also reprising his role as Professor Flitwick in the show, making him the only cast member from the original movies to be confirmed to return for the show.
The adult cast members have drawn criticism for their involvement in the series due to Rowling’s vocal stance against transgender rights. The series creator has become a prominent anti-trans voice in the years after the Harry Potter books were released, and has donated significant amounts of money to organizations aiming to reduce legal protections for trans people.
Following criticism, Lithgow defended his decision to join the reboot as Dumbledore and said that Rowling is “not really involved in this production at all,” despite her serving as an executive producer on the new TV show. The Conclave star said he considered stepping away from the role, but ultimately decided to stay.
“It upsets me when people are vehemently opposed to me having anything to do with this,” Lithgow said in February. “But in Potter canon, you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity. [Rowling] has written this meditation of kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role.”
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