10 Biggest Harry Potter Characters HBO Hasn't Cast Yet

Published Sep 19, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT

Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once.

HBO’s Harry Potter TV show is ready for its December 25, 2026, release, with season 2 already in production at the time of writing, but there are still some big characters that haven’t been cast yet. The trend of reboots, revivals, and adaptations is still growing strong, especially in the fantasy genre on TV. Some of the biggest fantasy franchises have been revived through TV shows in recent years, and the Harry Potter universe is now joining the trend.

HBO is bringing back to life the story of Harry Potter in a TV show, with production planned to span a decade so every season can cover a novel in the series as faithfully as possible. This will allow the Harry Potter TV show to feature characters from the books that didn’t make it to the movies for whatever reason, such as Peeves (Peter Serafinowicz) and Professor Binns (Richard Durden), aiming for a more complete experience than the movies.

Season 1 of the Harry Potter TV show, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is ready for a December 25, 2026, release, and the show has already been renewed for a second season, which will adapt Chamber of Secrets. Now, the most important characters in both stories have already been cast, but there are many more waiting for an actor. It’s unlikely that the Harry Potter TV show won’t complete its run and adapt all the books, so with that in mind, some of the biggest characters in the novels haven’t been cast yet.

Charlie Weasley

The Weasleys are one of the most important families in the Harry Potter books, but unfortunately, the movies left the second-oldest Weasley sibling out. Charlie Weasley is best known for being an expert on dragons, studying these creatures in Romania and assisting in bringing them to the Triwizard Tournament. Charlie later joined the second Order of the Phoenix and fought alongside them in the Second Wizarding War.

Now, Charlie Weasley doesn’t make his official appearance until Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but HBO already teased his presence in the show in the announcement of the casting for Ron, Ginny, Percy, Fred, and George, promising that “Charlie’s in Romania at the moment but will be joining us soon enough…”

Bill Weasley

Another Weasley sibling still not cast is Bill, who, in the movies, was played by Domhnall Gleeson. Bill is the oldest Weasley sibling, and after his time at Hogwarts, he worked for Gringotts Wizarding Bank as a Curse-Breaker. He later joined the second Order of the Phoenix and met Fleur Delacour, whom he later married. During the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, Bill was injured by Fenrir Greyback, and though that didn’t turn him into a werewolf, it left him with some wolf-like tendencies.

Bill Weasley joined his family and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix in the Battle of Hogwarts. Like Charlie, Bill makes his first appearance in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and though he hasn’t been teased to appear in the show like Charlie has, he’s still expected to join.

Sybill Trelawney

Sybill Trelawney is the Professor of Divination at Hogwarts and the one who made the prophecy about Lord Voldemort and the boy who would be powerful enough to defeat him. Trelawney is quite eccentric, and her predictions were often inaccurate, leading students and teachers to not trust her as a Seer. However, she was right with the prophecy, as well as when she warned Harry about Voldemort’s return.

Sybill is one of Hogwarts’ most colorful characters, and her role in delivering the prophecy, as well as her presence throughout Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix, make her a character that must be included in the show.

Alastor Moody

Another notable Hogwarts teacher is Alastor Moody, who served as professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Moody’s story is special as he was kidnapped right before classes began and was replaced by Barty Crouch Jr. disguised as Moody. This was a key part of Voldemort’s return plan in Goblet of Fire, and after being rescued, Moody put together the new Order of the Phoenix. Moody was loyal to Harry and the Order, and, unfortunately, he died during the Battle of the Seven Potters.

Moody was played by Brendan Gleeson in the Harry Potter movies and is one of the most anticipated characters to see again in the Harry Potter TV show. As Moody made his first appearance in Goblet of Fire, he hasn’t been cast yet.

Dolores Umbridge

One of the most hated characters in the Harry Potter saga is Dolores Umbridge, but she will appear in the TV show at some point. Umbridge was a bureaucrat at the Ministry of Magic before joining Hogwarts as professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. However, this role led her to become the Hogwarts High Inquisitor and later Headmistress, during which she was cruel and abusive to students. Umbridge continued her cruel ways at the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, but after the Second Wizarding War, she was sent to Azkaban for her crimes.

Umbridge was brilliantly played by Imelda Staunton in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, so the bar is very high for the TV show. Luckily, as Umbridge doesn’t make her first appearance until the fifth book, the Harry Potter TV show has plenty of time to find the perfect Umbridge.

Peter Pettigrew

Another hated character, and the biggest traitor of all, is Peter Pettigrew, played in the Harry Potter movies by Timothy Spall. Pettigrew was part of the Marauders, and thus was best friends with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and James Potter. Pettigrew was also a member of the original Order of the Phoenix, but he was also a spy for Voldemort. Pettigrew became the Potters’ Secret-Keeper, after which he betrayed them and gave their location to Voldemort, leading to their deaths.

Pettigrew faked his death and framed Sirius for the betrayal, and spent the next 12 years hiding in plain sight in his Animagus form of a rat – but not any rat, as he was Ron’s pet, Scabbers. After being exposed, Pettigrew returned to his human form and helped Voldemort return. Pettigrew has technically already been cast as Scabbers will appear in season 1, so we just have to wait for his human form to be cast.

Bellatrix Lestrange

One of Voldemort’s most loyal (and craziest) followers was Bellatrix Lestrange, played by Helena Bonham Carter. Lestrange was a member of the Black family, sister of Narcissa Malfoy and cousin of Sirius Black. As a Death Eater, Lestrange was fiercely loyal to Voldemort and his most sadistic follower, with some of her most infamous actions being the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom.

Lestrange escaped from Azkaban in a mass breakout when Voldemort returned, and continued to serve him until she was killed by Molly Weasley during the final battle of the Second Wizarding War. Lestrange makes her first official appearance in Order of the Phoenix, so it’s going to be a long wait for her to be cast.

Remus Lupin

Remus Lupin was a member of the Marauders and at one point taught Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Lupin was attacked by Fenrir when he was a child, turning him into a werewolf for the rest of his life. Lupin was a member of the original Order of the Phoenix, and he taught Harry the Patronus charm so he could defend himself against the Dementors. Lupin joined the new Order and fought in the Second Wizarding War, where he died in battle alongside his wife, Nymphadora Tonks.

Lupin is one of the most important people in Harry’s life, being a mentor, friend, and a father figure as well. Lupin was played by David Thewlis in the Harry Potter movies, and his casting for the Harry Potter TV show is one of the most anticipated.

Sirius Black

Played by Gary Oldman in the Harry Potter movies, Sirius Black is one of the most beloved characters in the saga. Black was the best friend of James Potter and Remus Lupin, as well as Harry’s godfather, and as mentioned above, he was framed by Pettigrew for the betrayal of James and Lily. This led to Black’s imprisonment in Azkaban, and after 12 years there, he finally escaped. Harry eventually learned the truth, and Black became his father figure. Sadly, Black was killed by Bellatrix during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

As one of the most important characters in Harry’s life and a very popular one among fans, the casting of Sirius Black for the Harry Potter TV show is also one of the most anticipated ones, and as he made his first appearance in Prisoner of Azkaban, it might not be a long wait.

Lord Voldemort

Of course, the biggest character yet to be cast in the Harry Potter TV show is Lord Voldemort. Tom Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort, was obsessed with the idea of pure-blood supremacy, which led him to do unspeakable things, such as creating various Horcruxes to get as close as possible to immortality. Voldemort gathered a group of followers he called the Death Eaters, who committed several murders and more while Voldemort targeted the Potters, believing their son, Harry, was the kid from the prophecy – and he was right, but things didn’t exactly go as he planned.

The darkest wizard of all was famously played by Ralph Fiennes in the Harry Potter movies, and at the time of writing, only his young version as Tom Riddle has been cast in the Harry Potter TV show. There are many fancasts out there for Voldemort, and he’s by far the most anticipated casting for the show.

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  Dominic McLaughlin

  Harry Potter

• Arabella Stanton

  Hermione Granger

• Alastair Stout

  Ron Weasley

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  Janet McTeer

  Minerva McGonagall