Unfortunately for fans, someone else will have to play Voldemort in HBO’s Harry Potter reboot. Although Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders, Oppenheimer) was the top pick for the villain for a long time, he has dispelled these rumors. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy appeared on a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, hosted by Josh Horowitz (Junketeers, Pat Sajak Weekend). He and Horowitz discussed circulating rumors suggesting that Murphy may be casted as Voldemort in the series. The villain was previously portrayed by Ralph Fiennes (Conclave, 28 Years Later).

Horowitz asked Murphy if the rumors had any real weight to them. “No, my kids show me it occasionally, but no, I don’t know anything about that,” Murphy replied on the podcast via The Hollywood Reporter. “I mean, also, it’s just really hard to follow anything Ralph Fiennes does. The man is an absolute acting legend. So, good luck to whoever is going to fill those shoes.”

Fiennes himself even provided tips to whoever is set to play He Who Shall Not Be Named. He told Entertainment Tonight, “Make sure you can handle the long, flowing robes and don’t trip over them. Practice your long, flowing robe walk.”

In the original novels by author J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Voldemort is the primary antagonist of the series. After Harry Potter survives one attempt on his life as an infant, Voldemort makes it his mission to try and kill him again.

Although Murphy’s upcoming projects do not include HBO’s Harry Potter, there is still much to look forward to for fans. On October 3, the film Steve, which Murphy stars in, will premiere on Netflix. The Immortal Man, a film set in the Peaky Blinders universe, releases in theaters in 2026. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will also release in theaters in 2026.