One Casting Idea For The Harry Potter TV Series Could Shake Up The Franchise

HBO’s announcement of the Harry Potter TV series reboot has met with mixed reactions from fans, with many asking just one question: why? Yet, the skepticism around this ambitious 10-season project might change if the studio pays attention to some exciting fan-casting ideas floating around on the Internet – two of which sound almost too good to come true.

It’s been 13 years since the eighth and final Harry Potter film was released, followed by the moderately successful Fantastic Beasts spinoffs. Now, the upcoming series aims to take audiences back to the Wizarding World, sticking to the familiar Hogwarts storyline but with a fresh cast. Many original Harry Potter actors are still recognized by their characters’ names in other film and TV projects. This time, HBO needs to find fitting replacements, and they may not need to look far. Recasting former Harry Potter actors in new, contrasting roles also comes with its own nostalgic appeal.

Potterheads have long been one of the most active online fandoms, since the advent of the Internet. The current generation of Harry Potter fans is proudly carrying on this legacy by brainstorming their own ideas for the upcoming HBO reboot. The studios and writers should drop everything and take note of their countless theories, fanfiction plotlines, and, most notably, fan-casting suggestions. One particularly uncanny option stands out and deserves serious consideration: Daniel Radcliffe as Lord Voldemort.

Daniel Radcliffe As Lord Voldemort

A casting choice like this would surely break the internet, and amp up the hype around the HBO reboot. It’s consensus that Daniel Radcliffe was born to play the role of Harry Potter, but the buck may not stop there. At 35, he has evolved into a versatile actor, capable of embracing darker roles with ease. This includes becoming his former on-screen nemesis, Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort.

His Harry Potter debut at age 12 feels like a lifetime ago, and now Radcliffe has proven his mettle in films like Swiss Army Man, as well as in villainous roles in Now You See Me 2 and The Lost City. So, if “The Boy Who Lived” returns to his roots, but as “He Who Must Not Be Named”, it would be a poetic full-circle moment like no other. The closest example might be Robert Downey Jr. returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the evil Doctor Doom. As Harvey Dent once said in The Dark Knight,

You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Will Radcliffe Return To Harry Potter?

The chances of Daniel Radcliffe returning to the franchise in either his previous role or in this subverted concept are slim. Radcliffe shared in an interview with ET Online that he fully supports the upcoming Harry Potter TV reboot but does not see himself returning as Harry.

I doubt very much that they will. It seems to me that they are wanting to make a fresh series, which it feels like it’d be distracting to have old, haggard Harry also entering from stage left.

Any project is bound to get a strong push when one of its actors subverts one of their most iconic roles within the same franchise. With the Harry Potter reboot’s 2026 premiere not far away, these daring casting choices could be key to its success. The lack of finalized casting announcements so far leaves room for bold moves. These offbeat decisions would dispel any ongoing negativity, satisfy old-timer Potterheads, and create a new legion of fans for the iconic boy wizard.

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Harry Potter

When Harry Potter learns that he is a wizard, he enters a world beyond belief. Aside from continuing his studies at Hogwarts with best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry must also face Voldemort and his dark wizarding forces. The Harry Potter franchise is a worldwide phenomenon, spanning seven books, eight movies, three spinoff movies, a stage play, and numerous video games.

Created by

J.K. Rowling

First Film

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

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Latest Film

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two

Cast

Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Alan Rickman , Michael Gambon , Ralph Fiennes , Maggie Smith , Robbie Coltrane

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Reunion Date

January 1, 2022

Where to watch

HBO Max

Spin-offs (Movies)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald , Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

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