Fans think they’ve figured out who’s playing young Lord Voldemort in HBO’s Harry Potter reboot.First announced in 2023, the Harry Potter reboot is well into filming its first season. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (not Sorcerer’s Stone like the OG film and American edition of the book) will adapt Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, following the Boy Who Lived as he discovers the wizarding world, forms friendships with Ron and Hermione, and uncovers a mystery unfolding within the castle.Credit: HBORELATED: HBO Concerned Over Violent ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot Backlash, Locks Down SetWarner Bros. Discovery has long since confirmed the show’s main cast. Newcomer Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, joined by Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. The trio were chosen after an open casting call that reportedly saw more than 30,000 children audition for the iconic roles.The adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Other confirmed actors include Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Luke Thallon as Professor Quirrell, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy.The Mystery of the New Lord VoldemortFor now, we don’t know who will replace Ralph Fiennes as the franchise’s primary antagonist, Lord Voldemort. While Cillian Murphy was once linked to the role, the Peaky Blinders actor has since passionately denied his involvement.Credit: Warner Bros.Other names linked to the role include Marvel actors Paul Bettany and Tilda Swinton. Another Marvel icon – Tom Hiddleston, aka Loki – is also in the mix, according to some reports.HBO boss Casey Bloys recently claimed they are yet to cast He Who Must Not Be Named and told Variety that fans should “take everything you read with a grain of salt.”Despite this, fans think the studio has already found the actor who will play Tom Riddle, aka the younger version of the iconic villain.Who’s Playing Tom Riddle?Some eagle-eyed fans have noticed that multiple young members of the Harry Potter cast, including Dominic McLaughlin, have suddenly followed British actor Owen Cooper on Instagram.Whoa! Several child actors from the Harry Potter series have started following Owen Cooper on Instagram—could he have joined the cast of Chamber of Secrets? Just a reminder that the Harry Potter fandom has been speculating for months about the possibility of him playing Tom Riddle. Eita! Vários membros do elenco infantil da série Harry Potter começaram a seguir Owen Cooper no Instagram, será que ele pode ter se juntado ao elenco de Câmara secreta? Lembrando que o fandom de Harry Potter já levanta a possibilidade de ele interpretar Tom Riddle a meses. pic.twitter.com/z0SGFvXFnS— acervo harry potter (@acervohpotter) April 4, 2026Cooper – best known for his award-winning role as teenage murder suspect Jamie Miller in Netflix’s Adolescence – most recently played the younger iteration of Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (2026).In addition to McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger) and Lox Pratt (Draco Malfoy) both now follow the young actor.At 16 years old, Cooper is the exact right age range to portray Tom Riddle. The character makes his first appearance in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, through a magical diary that preserves a teenage version of himself.Credit: NetflixThe memory manipulates Ginny Weasley (played by Gracie Cochrane in the reboot) and ultimately reveals that Riddle is the young Lord Voldemort, using the diary to reopen the Chamber and unleash the basilisk.Riddle surfaces again throughout the series in different forms. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry views memories of his school years and early adulthood, tracing his descent into dark magic. Fragments of Voldemort’s soul — Horcruxes created by Riddle — also drive the central conflict of the final books.The character was portrayed by several actors across the original film series. Christian Coulson played the teenage Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), while Frank Dillane and Hero Fiennes Tiffin – nephew of Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes – later portrayed younger versions of the character in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).Credit: Warner Bros.RELATED: HBO Pulls Back on ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise ExpansionIn the books, Tom Riddle is described as strikingly handsome, charming, and exceptionally intelligent, traits he uses to manipulate teachers and classmates at Hogwarts. The films hinted at this charisma but largely focused on his darker side, leaving less room to explore how his outward charm helped him hide his growing obsession with power and immortality.Several key scenes exploring Tom Riddle’s past were omitted from the films, particularly from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).The movie cut memories showing his childhood at Wool’s Orphanage, his disturbing ability to control other children, his job at Borgin and Burkes, and his murder of Hepzibah Smith to obtain Hufflepuff’s Cup and Slytherin’s locket, both of which became Horcruxes.Credit: Warner Bros.Are the Tom Riddle Rumors True?While it may seem soon for HBO to cast Tom Riddle, Bloys recently confirmed that work has already started on the show’s second season. While Harry Potter won’t release yearly, each installment of the franchise is expected to be filmed in relatively close succession in order to minimize the impact of the young actors aging between seasons, as was the case with Stranger Things.HBO has yet to comment on the rumors. However, reports suggest the studio plans to keep the actor playing Lord Voldemort under wraps for the time being — potentially not revealing the performer’s identity until the character appears on screen. An official announcement about Tom Riddle may therefore still be some way off.Do you think Owen Cooper would make a good teenage Tom Riddle?The post REPORT: HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot Has Its Voldemort appeared first on Inside the Magic.