There are major franchises, and then there's the Wizarding World. The property has entertained audiences for decades thanks to the novels, theme parks, stage plays, video games, and, of course, the Harry Potter movies (which are streaming with an HBO Max subscription). Soon, we'll return to Hogwarts with an upcoming TV series, with fans curious about who will play various beloved characters. And actor Paul Bettany had an A+ response when asked about rumors he might be the new Voldemort.
The upcoming Harry Potter TV show already has a ton of hype around it, with fans hoping it'll be a more accurate book-to-screen adaptation. There are plenty of names being tossed around online to replace Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, and in a clip from ScreenRant's Twitter, Bettany was asked about the possibility of playing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. After saying "it's just a rumor", the Da Vinci Code actor offered:
I’m not sure that I could face any more prosthetics in my life. I’ve had a lot of them.
Honestly, can you blame him? Having to wear facial prosthetics is a big-time commitment for major TV and film projects, one that can be both uncomfortable and even cumbersome when performing. He's already done a number of roles that required him to sit in the makeup chair, and it sounds like he'd rather not have to do that in order to portray Voldemort in the forthcoming Harry Potter TV series.
Folks who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order likely know what roles Paul Bettany is referencing in these comments. Namely, his ongoing role as Vision in the MCU, which will continue with the upcoming series VisionQuest. Additionally, he wore facial prosthetics as the villainous Dryden Vos in Solo: A Star Wars Story. So who can blame him for not wanting to sign up for years of playing Voldemort?
Of course, Ralph Fiennes' Harry Potter look wasn't pulled off simply by makeup; CGI was used to give him Voldemort's snake-like nose. But not only has Paul Bettany shut down the rumors of him playing the iconic villain, but it sounds like the makeup involved is reason enough for him not to put his spin on The Dark Lord.
Whoever ends up being the Harry Potter show's Voldemort is going to have some very big shoes to fill, given how acclaimed and iconic Ralph Fiennes' performance was. And while Bettany isn't interested, other actors like Andy Serkis have expressed interest. We'll just have to wait and see who ultimately lands the gig.
The Harry Potter TV series will premiere on December 25th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. For now, the movies can be re-watched on HBO Max.
