“Please Don’t”: Harry Potter Fans Fume Over Alleged Cynthia Erivo Casting As Lord Voldemort

Most of the actors set to star in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series have already been revealed. However, one major character remains a mystery: Lord Voldemort.

According to unconfirmed reports circulating on social media, Cynthia Erivo could be in talks to portray the Dark Lord in the series.

Speculation about HBO’s interest in the Wicked actress stems from a report by entertainment insider Daniel Richtman, who claimed the network is auditioning both men and women for the role.

Cynthia Erivo could play Lord Voldemort in the HBO Harry Potter series, according to unconfirmed reports

Image credits: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The villain was originally played by British actor Ralph Fiennes in the Harry Potter films.

Fans have been creating AI images reimagining Cynthia as Lord— or Lady—Voldemort, amplifying whispers of her casting that began in September 2025.

Image credits: HBO MAX

Reactions to the potential casting have been mixed, with some expressing excitement and praising the 38-year-old Brit’s talent, while others are upset at the idea of gender-swapping the role instead of staying true to J.K. Rowling’s original source material.

“I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, and I could have tolerated the black Snape but this is too much. I won’t be watching it if this happens,” one person wrote.

“They gender swap and color-swap the villains, but not the heroes? Come on now,” another expressed.

“@jk_rowling please don’t do this to us!” implored a third.

Fans are already making AI images that reimagine Cynthia as the Harry Potter villain

Image credits: dom_lucre

“If this is real, I’m back in!” shared another fan.

One Potterhead said Cynthia is “perfect” for the role, while someone else added, “10/10 would watch.”

“Voldemort is actually a fairly androgynous character – he’s described as having a ‘high, cold voice’, and his features are not human. At that point, it doesn’t really matter who plays him as long as they encompass the character,” wrote another fan.

Image credits: Maciej Drążkiewicz/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Others wondered what a potential female version of the villain would be called, and how the Tom Marvolo Riddle anagram would work if the character was Lady Voldemort instead of Lord Voldemort. 

Translators have addressed this issue by changing Tom’s name rather than Voldemort’s (like Tom Sorvolo Ryddle to spell out Soy Lord Voldemort in Spanish), so it remains to be seen whether the new script would potentially incorporate a similar change to preserve this famous part of the book.

The role was originally played by Ralph Fiennes in the Harry Potter films

Image credits: HBO MAX/TG Imitandup

Additionally, some questioned whether Cynthia, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, would want to be involved in the J.K. Rowling-produced project and what implications it could have for her career, given the author’s views on trans rights.

According to the International Business Times, the role of Voldemort has not yet been announced because early appearances in the first season may involve visual effects or voice work.

At the time of writing, HBO has made no official statements regarding the role.

Cynthia has played many eclectic roles throughout her career, including Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked, abolitionist Harriet Tubman in Harriet, and the title role in a revival of Jesus Christ Superstar.

She is the recipient of several accolades, having won Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards.

The speculation surrounding the role of Lord Voldemort follows HBO’s decision to cast Paapa Essiedu, a Black actor, as Severus Snape.

Image credits: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Snape, originally portrayed by the late Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter films, is described in the books as a “thin man with sallow skin, a large, hooked nose, and yellow, uneven teeth.”

The character “has shoulder-length, greasy black hair which frames his face, and cold, black eyes.”

Snape’s race is never specified in the books, but, as fan Kaizen D. Asiedu pointed out in a viral video, Rowling includes terms that wouldn’t be used to describe a Black person.

HBO is reportedly auditioning both male and female actors for the role

Image credits: HBO MAX

While many celebrated the decision to add diversity to an all-white cast, others criticized it, arguing it would introduce elements to the story that weren’t originally included by the author.

Specifically, fans were concerned that casting Paapa might affect the character dynamics between James Potter and Snape, with the scenes of Harry’s father bullying Snape now taking on racial undertones.

The rest of the cast has also been announced. Dominic McLaughlin, who will portray the titular Hogwarts wizard, said he received a letter of support from Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the eight-movie franchise. The 11-year-old called it “insane” to have received his encouragement.

Image credits: Sarel

Alastair Stout will star as Ron Weasley, while Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger.

Nick Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, and Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall.

The HBO series is designed to run over a decade. Casey Bloys, CEO of HBO and Max Content, called the show a “faithful adaptation” of Rowling’s work that will “dive deep into each of the iconic books.”

The first season of the fantasy series is set to be released on HBO in early 2027.

“This would actually be perfect for her,” one fan wrote, while others were not too excited about the potential casting

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