A Hollywood great who won an Oscar almost a decade ago is reportedly the top contender to play Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV show.

When it was announced that a reboot was in the works, this news inevitably sparked passionate reactions from fans around the world.

Some were incredibly excited about the development, while others were already adamant in their vow to boycott the HBO Max series completely.

As excitement grows over who will play the golden trio Harry, Ron and Hermione – following in the footsteps of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson – it’s now been claimed that acting legend Mark Rylance could join the cast as Dumbledore.

However, there are still other huge names who fans have suggested could play the part brilliantly, including Gary Oldman, Jared Harris and Peter Capaldi.

The Hogwarts headmaster was orginally portrayed by Richard Harris in the first two Harry Potter films, before his death in 2002 at the age of 72.

Michael Gambon then took over the role, depicting the sorcerer for seven years from 2004 until 2011.

According to Variety, sources have informed the publication that Wolf Hall star Mark is the top casting choice to play the legendary wizard.

Meanwhile, a representative for HBO said in a statement: ‘We appreciate that such a high profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.’

So while it’s claimed that Mark is at the top of HBO’s wishlist, who else could be in line to capture Dumbledore’s commanding presence in the Great Hall of Hogwarts? Let’s take a look at seven of the top contenders…

Gary Oldman

Gary, of course, played a pivotal role in the Harry Potter film franchise as Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather otherwise known as Padfoot, thanks to his ability to shapeshift into a dog.

He made his debut in the third instalment the Prisoner of Azkaban, before being heartbreakingly killed in the fifth film, the Order of the Phoenix.

Many fans thought there couldn’t have been anyone better to play Sirius other than Gary, thanks to his performance and also the real-life connection that he forged with the lead star Daniel.

And now, there are some Potterheads who think he’d be a brilliant choice for Dumbledore, with a fan called Andy writing on X: ‘I would cry with happiness if that was the case.’

Gary, 66, has even weighed in on the possibility, telling IndieWire: ‘I would bet my money that they will get a whole new cast of people. Maybe in a few years, I could do Dumbledore.’

Jared Harris

When Harry Potter first came to the big screen in 2001 with The Philosopher’s Stone, the late Richard Harris perfectly captured the twinkle in Dumbledore’s eye as the powerful headmaster of Hogwarts.

Given Richard’s legacy in the world of Harry Potter, some people thought that his son, Jared Harris, would be the perfect choice to play Dumbledore in the upcoming TV reboot.

While some might think he would still be a contender, the 63-year-old actor has seemingly already ruled out the possibility.

He told The Independent: ‘No, thank you. Also, I mean, why do it? I don’t understand. The films were fantastic – leave them alone.’

It appears that his mind is made up!

Peter Capaldi

As fans speculate who could play Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV series, Peter Capaldi, 66, is one of the actors who has been mentioned in the speculation.

While opinions are mixed on the potential casting, some have said that it would be ‘perfect casting’, with one X user called @WhoPotterVian saying: ‘I can already envision how Peter Capaldi would play Dumbledore.’

Another called Xander stated that while beforehand they’d had absolutely no interest in the TV adaptation at all, that had now changed.

‘Hearing apparently Peter Capaldi is playing Dumbledore in the HBO Harry Potter thing. I’ve gone from not caring at all, to fully onboard,’ they shared.

Rupert Everett

Not only would Rupert Everett be a magical choice to play Dumbledore, considered to be the greatest wizard of his time in the Harry Potter universe… but he’s also shown interest in the job.

During an appearance on This Morning, the 65-year-old told the presenters ‘I always want to try and be in things that I can do better than anybody else’ while discussing his new role in the Netflix series Emily in Paris.

Then, when Ben Shephard asked if he would be up for playing Dumbledore, he replied: ‘That’s my other dream! But that’s an uphill struggle too. Maybe, who knows?’

The St Trinian’s actor added: ‘The reason I want those parts is because that’s the kind of acting I could really do.’

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry might have been one of the few British acting legends who didn’t have a role in the Harry Potter films, but he already has a strong connection to the franchise, having narrated the audiobooks for the novels, as well as some of the video games.

Numerous fans have been saying for years that they think the 67-year-old actor would do a brilliant job as Dumbledore, with one X user called @Footbollistic writing: ‘The world deserves to see Stephen Fry play Dumbledore.’

‘I’ve always wondered why Stephen Fry wasn’t cast as Dumbledore for the movies,’ Another fan going by the name Iron Thompson wrote, while Matt remarked: ‘A lingering thought, escalated by his appearance in The Sandman – why was Stephen Fry never cast as Dumbledore?’

A Reddit user called Royston-Vasey123 cited Stephen’s close connection to the franchise, writing in a post: ‘Yeah he’s my dream cast. He also reads the audio books (in the UK at least) so he’s powerfully associated with HP for many people – his casting would be a big nostalgia hit, I think.’

‘He has the crooked nose and all! No but seriously he strikes the perfect balance between warmheartedness, silliness and gravitas,’ Serpico2 commented.

Jude Law

In the Harry Potter spin-off movie franchise Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, British acting legend Jude Law was cast as a younger version of Albus Dumbledore.

While there were a spate of negative reviews for the second and third instalments → The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore – fans were won over by the 51-year-old’s depiction of the wizard in his early years.

And so, many are on board with the idea of Jude taking up the role yet again for the Harry Potter TV adaptation.

One fan on Reddit wrote: ‘YES, cast him as Dumbledore in the Wizarding World Extended Universe: FB, HB series, Dumbledore series, and anything or everything else. The more Jude Law as Dumbledore the better.’

However, others thought that he might still be too young for the part.

‘I’d love to have him for the pensieve’s flashbacks (in the later seasons unfortunately),’ GrinAndWaltz commented. ‘He’s my favourite Dumbledore as well, but he’s too young to play in the HP series imo.’

Mark Rylance

Another name that has been floated around as a potential choice for Dumbledore is British acting icon Mark Rylance – whose past roles include starring in Dunkirk, Wolf Hall and Bridge of Spies.

One fan called James wrote on X that they’d been ‘campaigning for years’ for the 64-year-old to be cast as the Hogwarts headmaster… and to be honest, we can see the vision.

Another named Miguel remarked that Mark ‘would make the best Dumbledore’ because he’d be able to channel the ‘spirit of the character’.

On Reddit, Arfie807 pointed out that the actor had ‘definitely mastered the eye twinkle’, a signature feature of the wizard in the books.

But, as Dumbledore points out to Harry in a memorable quote: ‘It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live’… so we’ll hold onto these dreamcastings with a pinch of salt until more news comes out of the woodwork.

The Harry Potter TV series will air on HBO Max.
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