Did Ralph Fiennes just reveal Cillian Murphy as his Voldemort successor?

The Dark Lord may have just slipped up about his successor.

Ralph Fiennes appeared to accidentally reveal who could be stepping into his shoes as Voldemort in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series while praising what he called a “very good” casting choice during a recent red-carpet interview, according to The Sun.

The actor, who famously portrayed Voldemort in the original film franchise, was asked at the premiere of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple who he thought should take over the role in the new TV adaptation. His answer raised eyebrows.

“I’m told they are already filled, aren’t they? I think Cillian Murphy is very good. A very good choice,” Fiennes said.

Appearing flustered, Fiennes doubled down before questioning himself. “I’ve already said, I think Cillian Murphy is very good,” he added. “I think they’ve cast it, haven’t they? You don’t know?”

Turning to his team, he continued, “I don’t know. I thought they had.”

It remains unclear whether Fiennes was sharing inside information or simply referencing long-running fan speculation. The Peaky Blinders star had previously been rumoured for the role and was listed at 6/1 odds by OLBG.

Murphy himself has shut down the talk. On Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, he said, “I don’t know anything about that.”

He added, “Also, it’s just really hard to follow anything Ralph Fiennes does. The man is an absolute acting legend, so good luck to whoever’s gonna fill those shoes.”

HBO has confirmed several cast members, including John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and Nick Frost as Hagrid.