HBO Max’s upcoming Harry Potter reboot continues to generate enormous buzz as the studio assembles its A-team for the ambitious TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novels. With Succession executive producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod as showrunners, the series has already announced key castings, including Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. However, as of today, the big bad, Lord Voldemort, remains uncast. Finding an actor who can embody the Dark Lord that Ralph Fiennes immortalized in the films is perhaps the project’s biggest make or break.
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However, it turns out the greater franchise might have already found its villain. Actor Matthew Macfadyen recently voiced He Who Must Not Be Named in Audible’s full-cast production of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which released on November 4th. Though Voldemort appears only briefly in the first installment, Macfadyen perfectly captures the dark wizard’s measured menace in his vocal performance. And if his past work is any indication, he will be well-suited to the full range of You Know Who’s complexity.
Why Matthew Macfadyen Would Be the Perfect Voldemort
Macfadyen’s extensive resume and impressive range make him an ideal candidate to inherit Fiennes’ legacy. The Audible release is proof that his serpentine intimidation is on point. And thanks to standout moments in HBO’s Succession as well as other past roles like Deadpool & Wolverine’s Mr. Paradox or even John Stonehouse, we know he has the chops to pull off Voldemort’s more theatrical moments of megalomania. In particular, the Emmy-winning Succession stint showed us he is capable of playing simultaneously pathetic and dangerous, and even terrifying with a comedic edge. Given that Gardiner and Mylod have already worked with Macfadyen, it also bodes well for another possible collaboration.
The Audible Full Cast Editions feature a stacked voice ensemble including Hugh Laurie as Albus Dumbledore, Riz Ahmed as Severus Snape, and Michelle Gomez as Minerva McGonagall. The Philosopher’s Stone release has also gone a long way toward proving to fans that these characters can be successfully reinterpreted amid apprehension about the TV reboot. Macfadyen, even in his limited air time, absolutely nails Voldemort’s voice with a fresh take that honors the previous iteration while establishing a unique presence.
Other rumored names being tossed around for HBO’s Voldemort include Cillian Murphy and Tilda Swinton (as a possible gender-flipped Dark Lady), both of whom would surely bring their own x-factor to the role. However, Macfadyen has proven in the Audible production that he understands the assignment. HBO would be wise to recognize that Pottermore Publishing already found the perfect Lord Voldemort, and he’s sitting right under their noses.
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