Harry Potter fans torn over controversial McGonagall casting: 'she's too young'

Talk surrounding the HBO Harry Potter reboot is still in full swing and more recently, attention has turned to a potential casting choice for Professor McGonagall herself.

The Harry Potter reboot is expected to air in 2026 but for now, Warner Bros. has remained tight-lipped about any potential castings.

Well, except one.

Travel back to where it all began with the trailer for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone below!

Last week saw actor John Lithgow reportedly confirm that he had snapped up the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, making him the first actor to be officially tied to the television adaptation.

However, we are still in the dark about who will be joining him to take on the retelling of the much-loved book and movie series.

That being said, late last year, both the Hollywood Reporter and Deadline revealed that Warner Bros. and HBO were considering Rachel Weisz for the role of Professor McGonagall.

Played by the late Maggie Smith in the Harry Potter movie series, Weisz would definitely be a talented contender but due to her age, fans are unsure about the potential casting.

Weisz, who is best known for her roles in The Mummy, The Bourne Legacy, and Black Widow to name a few, may be just 54-years-old but with the HBO reboot expected to age down its cast to their canon ages, this would make sense.

Nevertheless, fans recently took to r/HarryPotteronHBO to share their thoughts.

“Rachel Weisz seems young for that role,” user TheSeedsYouSow commented.

Another user added, “Maggie Smith was 67 when she took the role and 77 when she finished the series. At 54 both Weisz and Horgan [Sharon Horgan, another rumoured casting] feel young for the role by comparison.”

However, for user OceanDevotion, they fully support the potential casting.

I’m all for Rachel Weisz as McGonagall… mainly because I have been obsessed with her since she played a librarian in The Mummy when I was a kid,” they shared.

“I’ve loved every role I’ve seen her in, and I think she could totally play a stern but loving McGonagall.”

Weisz's potential role is merely a rumour as of now but it will be interesting to see how she would approach the role if she did land the coveted part.