Voldemort could be portrayed by a woman in HBO’s Harry Potter series

Potterheads had hoped HBO’s Harry Potter series might bring back Ralph Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort in the original films from the fourth installment onward. To the disappointment of many fans, however, the actor said on The Claudia Winkleman Show that a return is now hardly an option for him. He did, however, name someone else he believes would be “amazing” in the role of the Dark Lord: Tilda Swinton.

Since Lord Voldemort is a male character, the idea of having him portrayed by a woman may initially seem unusual to some. Tilda Swinton, however, is a choice many fans on Reddit consider entirely plausible. The award-winning British actress, best known for playing the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia and for her role as the Ancient One in Doctor Strange, is seen as highly versatile and could potentially bring an eerie, otherworldly quality to the Dark Lord.

It is important to note that Tilda Swinton is merely Fiennes’ personal casting choice. HBO has not officially confirmed who will portray You-Know-Who in the series adaptation. Whether that reveal will happen in the near future remains unclear. In the early films, the weakened Voldemort does not appear physically on screen. Since HBO reportedly plans to dedicate one season to each book, that may not become relevant until season 4. Still, Voldemort could appear in flashbacks, so an earlier casting reveal cannot be ruled out entirely.