Nicholas Hoult has landed one of the wizarding world’s most vain roles, but his LGBTQ+ fans are not exactly rushing to celebrate. The Superman star has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in season two of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and the reaction has been less “Accio excitement!” and more “Nicholas, can we talk?”
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The casting was confirmed by Deadline on 11 August. Hoult will play Lockhart, the celebrity wizard who arrives at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with a dazzling smile, a heroic reputation and considerably less magical talent than he would like everyone to believe. Kenneth Branagh played the character in the 2002 film adaptation, while Hoult will inherit the famously smug robes when the second season begins filming this autumn.
On paper, it is a rather perfect role for an actor who has spent much of his career playing characters with varying degrees of charm, menace and questionable judgment. Off screen, however, the casting has landed rather differently with some members of the LGBTQ+ audience who have long had a soft spot for Hoult.
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Nicholas Hoult’s LGBTQ+ following is not taking this quietly
Hoult has cultivated a particularly enthusiastic LGBTQ+ following through roles including Tony Stonem in Skins, whose sexuality appeared fluid, as well as his appearances in queer films such as The Favourite and A Single Man. His general ability to look unfairly good in almost anything has presumably also helped. His leather-daddy look at this year’s Met Gala certainly did not hurt.
That makes his decision to join the Harry Potter reboot more complicated for fans who have enjoyed watching his career, particularly because the series remains closely connected to J.K. Rowling. Rowling, who is also an executive producer on the show, has faced sustained criticism over her views on transgender rights and has continued to support sex-based women’s groups.
The reactions became increasingly dramatic. It is, admittedly, a spectacular amount of emotional devastation over one casting announcement. But the intensity also illustrates why this particular franchise continues to be such a sensitive subject for LGBTQ+ audiences.
The other Harry Potter actors are getting their own share of beef
Hoult is hardly the first actor in HBO’s Harry Potter cast to discover that accepting a Hogwarts letter now comes with a rather lengthy FAQ about J.K. Rowling.
Bel Powley, who will play Aunt Petunia, recently made her own position clear, saying that she “strongly disagrees” with Rowling’s beliefs concerning trans people. In an August 10 interview, she added: “I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance,”
That is a pretty unambiguous answer, especially for an actor who is about to spend years being asked questions about the franchise.
John Lithgow, meanwhile, has already experienced the particular joy of being cast as Albus Dumbledore and then discovering that the role comes with considerably more baggage than a spectacular beard. Lithgow revealed that he was urged to walk away from the production after backlash over Rowling’s views, and he ultimately acknowledged that the controversy had affected him.
“I do disagree with much of it,” he said on the Radio Hour podcast, “much of it I think has been twisted and misrepresented, and she has doubled down on it at her own cost.”
Lithgow has also previously explained that a close friend with a trans child sent him an open letter asking him to reconsider the role. He ultimately decided to continue, despite the criticism.
“I thought, ‘Why is this a factor at all?’ I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it,” he said. “I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her.”
There is also Paapa Essiedu, who will play Professor Snape. Essiedu faced backlash over the casting itself, including criticism of the decision to cast a Black actor in the role, but he has also been clear about where he stands personally when it comes to the trans community.
“My points of view are mine and will continue to be so.” – He told The Sunday Times.
Nick Frost, meanwhile, has been asked about Rowling’s views in connection with his role as Hagrid. His response was perhaps the most succinct: she is “allowed her opinion, and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape, or form.”
So already, the cast presents a rather complicated picture. These actors have not all responded to the controversy in the same way, and that distinction matters when discussing whether simply taking a role makes someone deserving of the same criticism.
Hoult has previously spoken positively about LGBTQ+ representation
What makes the reaction to Hoult particularly interesting is that his previous comments about LGBTQ+ representation give fans another piece of the puzzle.
While discussing The Favourite‘s LGBTQ+ representation in 2018, Hoult said: “It’s great that the conversation is happening and that these movies are getting made more and more, but it should be up to the point where it’s completely normal and it’s not even something that people have to keep feeling is unusual.”
That quote has inevitably taken on a different weight now that Hoult has signed up for Harry Potter. Fans who appreciated his work in queer stories and his comments about representation are understandably asking how this new decision fits alongside those views.
Hoult’s career has also continued to intersect with queer cinema. He has been announced as part of queer director Tom Ford’s upcoming film Cry to Heaven, which also stars trans actors Lux Pascal and Hunter Schafer.
None of that automatically answers the question of why Hoult accepted the Lockhart role. It does, however, explain why some fans are surprised rather than simply indifferent. For an actor who has accumulated considerable goodwill among LGBTQ+ viewers, the casting feels like a choice that deserves an explanation.
And that is where Hoult differs slightly from some of the other actors in the reboot. Several cast members have already been asked to explain their positions. Hoult has only just been announced, so the inevitable questions have arrived before he has had much opportunity to answer them.
Is it time to shun the Harry Potter cast?
Which brings us to the question that is probably going to cause the most arguments: should LGBTQ+ fans shun actors who take roles in the Harry Potter reboot?
First trailer for the ‘HARRY POTTER’ series.
Releasing this Christmas on HBO. pic.twitter.com/X5PPZ3ME46
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 25, 2026
There is a perfectly reasonable argument for refusing to support the franchise altogether. For some fans, Rowling’s views have made the decision simple: they no longer want their money, attention or enthusiasm anywhere near Harry Potter. That is a personal boundary, and nobody needs a wizarding-themed permission slip to enforce it.
But there is also a difference between deciding not to watch the show and assuming every actor who appears in it automatically shares Rowling’s views. The existing cast demonstrates that rather clearly. Powley has publicly disagreed with Rowling. Essiedu has expressed support for the trans community. Frost has said his views do not align with Rowling’s, while Lithgow has spoken openly about the controversy and even considered leaving the production.
That leaves Hoult in an interesting position. He has previously expressed support for LGBTQ+ representation, has worked on queer films and has a devoted LGBTQ+ following, yet he has now chosen to join one of the most politically complicated entertainment franchises in the world.
The question for fans is therefore less “Is Nicholas Hoult secretly a Gilderoy Lockhart?” and more “What does Nicholas Hoult actually think about the controversy, and why was this role worth taking?”
Because if there is one thing this reboot has already demonstrated, it is that being cast in Harry Potter means signing up for much more than a few years of wand choreography and questionable Hogwarts meals. It also means answering questions about Rowling, trans rights and where you personally draw the line.
So, Nicholas, are we getting an explanation?
The second season is still some way off, and filming has yet to begin, so there is plenty of time for Hoult to address the controversy if he chooses to. Perhaps he will explain why he accepted the role. Perhaps he will reiterate his support for LGBTQ+ people. Perhaps he will simply get on with playing Lockhart and leave everyone else to debate the ethics of returning to Hogwarts.
Whatever happens, Hoult has now joined a cast that has already learned the hard way that Harry Potter interviews are no longer just about favorite spells and whether Dumbledore is secretly a cat. The question for LGBTQ+ fans is what to do with that information.
Should we shun the Harry Potter actors who take these roles, judge each actor individually based on what they actually say and do, or give them a chance to explain themselves before we collectively revoke their queer-fan privileges?
Because Gilderoy Lockhart may have built his reputation on a carefully polished public image, but Hoult’s real-life casting dilemma is considerably more complicated than a good hair day and a purple robe.