With the new Harry Potter TV series coming to HBO on Christmas Day, plenty of new castings have caught our attention. From the new core trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione to John Lithgow as Dumbledore and so many others, there’s a lot to look forward to.
I want to look a little further at an important character coming up later in the series. By that I mean, I want to take a look at Sirius Black. In the Harry Potter movies, the iconic Gary Oldman starred as Sirius Black, and he really knocked it out of the park. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing him.
Because this is a new series, and there are plenty of great options out there, here are five fan-casts for Sirius Black that I think would work well in the Harry Potter series.
Ben Barnes
The first one that I have to put on here is Ben Barnes, and honestly, I can see the vision. Many fans online believe he would be one of the best options for Sirius Black, and I can understand why. While Oldman’s portrayal of Sirius made the character a little older, he is supposed to be younger in the books, so it makes sense they’d cast someone in their 40s to play the role.
Barnes just gives off that friendly but scary vibe. Barnes has played various roles that have some of Sirius Black's qualities in his other shows and movies, like in Shadow and Bone, The Punisher series, and Narnia. He feels like a great pick to bring on a character as beloved as Sirius.
Jonathan Bailey
While many know Jonathan Bailey for his roles in Bridgerton or the Wicked movies, I could see him taking on Sirius.
Sirius isn’t just some impressive wizard who was wrongfully accused of crimes that sent him to Azkaban. Yes, he had trauma, but beneath that, he genuinely cares about others and his godson, Harry. I could see Bailey bringing that role to life in a very interesting way.
Bailey also just has this aura around him that makes you feel safe. In the books, Harry wished he could go with Sirius. We need someone who can really show that energy while also occasionally being kind of scary. Bailey could easily do that.
Joseph Quinn
This might be an out-there pick, but I think Joseph Quinn could be a decent choice to play Sirius.
He would be the leading role if the casting directors were going for a more mature but kind Sirius. Quinn often gives off that kind of energy with every role. It's someone who cares deeply but also has a fun side. That is Sirius. Since Quinn naturally has darker hair, there are some good hair options. God knows we saw enough of that with him as Eddie on Stranger Things.
I do worry about whether Quinn can pull off the tougher parts about Sirius. He’s a wizard to be messed with, has serious talent, and can also be pretty intimidating. That’s sort of still up in the air based on what we've seen Quinn do so far.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
If you want to talk about the complete opposite of Quinn, I think Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be a decent pick for Sirius. If this show really wanted to lean into Sirius’ power as part of the Black family, Taylor-Johnson has that. He could really bring that to fruition.
But with his casting, we run into the same problem as before, just the opposite. I don’t know if he could pull off the warm, loving side as well as the previous three picks because he often plays more serious roles. I do think he could, and he certainly has the energy to play the character. It would definitely be a top choice, though.
Richard Madden
I feel like no one is talking about Richard Madden as a potential contender, but we really should be, because he’s a great pick. If you saw him in Game of Thrones, you would totally understand his acting chops.
Madden has a face that feels warm and loving, like someone you could talk to or connect with, but he also has the energy that suggests he could play wizard who could easily take you down. Out of everyone on this list, I think he’d be my pick behind Ben Barnes.
Plus, with Kit Harington’s role in the show, it would be like another Game of Thrones star stepping into a new universe.
Whoever ends up being Sirius, they'd better get ready for the crazy amount of GIFs and X reactions there will be — because there will be plenty.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premieres on Dec. 25, 2026.
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