Ralph Fiennes' portrayal of Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series is a ridiculously tough act to follow for whoever takes on the pivotal role in the TV adaptation.
Which is why producers need someone oozing with talent to take on the intense character - and fans say their front runner is Cillian Murphy.
The Oppenheimer star's name has come up repeatedly in discussions regarding who could be a part of the cast for HBO's news series.
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Rumours have been circulating about Murphy's alleged involvement in the show, which is set to bring the wizarding world to life once again, since it was first announced in April 2023.
But the whispers have now began once again following the announcement that six incredible actors have been confirmed as part of the cast.
And the majority of fans are all for Murphy joining these lot and starring as 'He Who Must Not Be Named' in the series, as they reckon the talented actor would make a decent villain.
One social media user said: "Would be a cold-blooded casting if it happens."
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Another wrote: "This could cook. I can't remember the last time this man was involved in a bad project."
A third added: "He's been giving me nightmares since I first watched Red Eye, so I'll support this."
A fourth said: "He’s literally the only actor who can pull off Voldemort without CGI."
While a fifth chimed in saying: "Ok I won’t deny, that’d be a pretty neat choice."
The speculation surrounding Murphy has been that feverish that even Fiennes has shared his thoughts on passing the Voldemort torch to the Peaky Blinders actor.
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The Oscar-nominated screen star, from Suffolk, gave Murphy his blessing to take over his legendary role, should he receive the offer.
During an appearance on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live in December, Fiennes described the Irishman as a 'fantastic actor', while sharing his thoughts on the possibility of him being cast.
"That's a wonderful suggestion," he said. "I would be all in favour of Cillian."
As well as being a clear favourite among the Harry Potter film cast, Murphy is a favourite down at the bookies too.
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William Hill have got odds of 2/1 for Murphy being cast as the Dark Lord, followed by horror film favourite and It star Bill Skarsgård at 9/2.
Interestingly, Fiennes is also still in the running to play Voldemort too, with odds of 5/1, while Christian Bale has an 8/1 chance.
The Matrix actor Hugo Weaving then rounded things off with odds of 16/1.
A spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: "With a number of the cast already confirmed, rumours are swirling about who will play Lord Voldemort in the new Harry Potter TV series, and we make Cillian Murphy our favourite at 2/1.
"The Irishman heads renowned horror film actor Bill Skarsgård (9/2) in the market, while Ralph Fiennes is 5/1 to make a dramatic return as Voldemort after starring in all eight Harry Potter films."
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People are already mocking up pretend posters of Murphy as the noseless villain, which is only getting Harry Potter fans even more excited about the prospect of him joining the HBO series.
Chris Columbus, who directed the first two instalments of the weird and wonderful franchise, has also thrown his weight behind Murphy taking on the Voldemort gig, previously saying: "Well, Cillian is one of my favourite actors, so that would be amazing."
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Cillian Murphy, Harry Potter
Olivia Burke