Fact Check: Did Daniel Radcliffe get cast as Voldemort in HBO's Harry Potter reboot?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A viral post claims that Daniel Radcliffe will return to the Harry Potter franchise as Lord Voldemort in HBO’s upcoming reboot.
The post says Radcliffe will play the adult Voldemort opposite newcomer Dominic McLaughlin, who will play Harry Potter. Let's fact-check the claim.
Claim: Daniel Radcliffe will return to the Harry Potter franchise as Lord Voldemort
Daniel Radcliffe has been cast as Lord Voldemort in HBO Max's ‘HARRY POTTER’ TV series.
— DiscussingFlow (@DiscussingFlow) September 5, 2026
The boy who survived will unexpectedly become He Who Must Not Be Named, facing his successor, Dominic McLaughlin.
(Source: @Variety) pic.twitter.com/60ZLmWGdkQ
The rumor originated with an X account called DiscussingFlow, which posted an alleged casting update about the HBO Harry Potter reboot.
The post claimed, “Daniel Radcliffe has been cast as Lord Voldemort in HBO Max's ‘HARRY POTTER’ TV series.”
It added, “The boy who survived will unexpectedly become He Who Must Not Be Named, facing his successor, Dominic McLaughlin.” The post also cited Variety as its supposed source.
At the time of writing, the post had received more than 744K views. Several users questioned whether the claim was real.
One user tagged Grok and wrote, “Something tells me that this is not true. Can you confirm?” Another asked, “Is that true? And what are the chances that Daniel is the new Voldemort?”
You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself cast as Lord Voldemort.
— ꪜ𝖎𝔃𝔃𝔂 ✞ (@sntvizzy) September 5, 2026
Daniel Radcliffe playing the Dark Lord in the HBO reboot wouldn't just break the internet, it would be the single greatest passing of the baton moment in pop culture history. Do it, HBO. https://t.co/nPiFzkQERZ
The claim also sparked reactions from fans who were surprised or excited by the alleged casting. One user joked, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself cast as Lord Voldemort.”
The user added that Radcliffe playing the Dark Lord would be a major moment in pop culture and urged HBO to make it happen.
I have no interest in this horrible-looking show, but this would be interesting. https://t.co/0vQXv5foY8
— Liminal Anomaly (@LiminalAnomaly) September 5, 2026
Another user said they had no interest in the upcoming show but thought Radcliffe playing Voldemort would make the series more interesting.
Fact Check: The claim is false
The claim is false. Daniel Radcliffe has not been cast as Lord Voldemort in HBO’s Harry Potter series. The viral post correctly says that Dominic McLaughlin will play the new Harry Potter. However, HBO has not announced an actor for the adult Voldemort role.
HBO recently announced Billy Barratt as young Tom Riddle, the student who later becomes Voldemort, for Season 2, which will adapt Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This casting does not mean that HBO has cast the adult Voldemort. The adult role remains unfilled.
Several actors have been linked to the role in media reports and fan speculation, including Cillian Murphy, who denied being involved, and Paul Bettany. However, Daniel Radcliffe has not been among the actors officially linked to the role.
Radcliffe has also indicated that the new series should be a “clean break” from the original films. He has not expressed interest in returning to the franchise as part of the new series.
The viral post came from a parody account and used the idea of the original Harry Potter actor becoming Voldemort as a joke. The post is not a real casting announcement.
